The Lost and the Lonely
by PeaceLightVictory
Summary: She's lost everything. Parents, home, and friends. Living with her relatives is a drag. She feels lonely. Now she needs to get lost. JarethxOC
1. Chapter 1

**This will be a bit more angsty than I'm used to writing. Not a romance per-say. We'll just have to see where the story leads me.**

**I do not own the Labyrinth or any of the characters from the movie. However, I do own Dani and her horrible relatives.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 1<br>_  
>Life can be easy<br>It's not always swell_

~*/*\*~

Rain beat its fierce rhythm on the ground. The term, raining cats and dogs, did not quite fit the torrent that was washing away the world. Everywhere was gray. Everything was gray. Gray and sad. No one was walking outside in the deluge. Cars were few and far between out on the road. People preferred working indoors on days like this. So it was understandable when the owner of a vehicle stepped out of their car muttering a string of words while struggling all the while with an umbrella. Eventually this unhappy woman was drenched and gave up on the object that was supposed to be shielding her from her soggy state.

Running in her high heels toward the brick building she parked in front of, she scowled at the establishment's name. _County Courthouse_. Pushing the glass doors open, she stepped into the warm and dry foyer. Her heels clicked loudly on the marble floor. Pulling from her leather purse a piece of paper that managed to remain dry, she read the name scrawled upon it. Quickening her speed she turned down a corner and followed the hallway. Turning another corner she stopped abruptly. On a wooden bench beneath a large window sat a teenage girl dressed in a knee-length black skirt, gray shirt, black tights, and black flats. The teenager's head lifted from it bowed position over a book. One blue and one green eye stared up at the woman who stood gawking. Without so much as a 'hello' the girl turned her attention back to the book in her hands.

A door across from the girl opened and from it stepped out a tall, lean man who appeared to be in his fifties. "Danica? Is your aunt here yet?" The teenager's head tilted in the direction of the woman down the hall. The gentleman turned and smiled sympathetically at the woman. "Ah, Mrs. Pruit. I am so glad you could make it. How was your train ride?"

The woman plastered on a smile. "Long but anything for my - niece. Oh, and please, call me Veronica. Are you Mr. Quincy? The lawyer I spoke with?"

The man nodded and held out his hand. "The one and only." Once they finished their introductions, Mr. Quincy motioned for Veronica Pruit to follow him. "I believe we are here to discuss your custody over Danica." As the sentence left his lips, the girl's head rose. Shaggy, black bangs fell in front of her blue eye - the right one - and she let it hang there. "Right this way ladies."

"Come on, Danica." Veronica urged the girl in a semi-sweet tone.

"Dan." The girl mumbled as she gathered her things. "Just call me Dan." The adults appeared to not have heard her. With a sigh and a role of her eyes, Danica followed along behind them. Pausing, she slipped her book into the yellow backpack she had slung over her shoulder. "Hope this ends soon." Danica whispered sadly to herself.

It didn't. Mr. Quincy went over all the legalities concerning the 'will of the deceased'. Danica folded her arms across her chest and tried to tune him out. He said something about when she reached legal age and access to her mother's funds, blah, blah, blah. She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell this Quincy guy that she didn't want to live with her only living relative and her bratty kids. Veronica Pruit hated her guts for crying out loud! Danica sent a glare through her bangs that fell over her eye. Only that side was covered though. If Quincy was paying attention he would have noticed the death glare her green eye - the left one - was sending her aunt's way.

Things were finally wrapping up. Finally. Danica wasn't sure how many hours she had spent sitting there listening to legal jargon. Her aunt was thanking the man for taking such good care of her niece. Turning to Danica, Veronica arched an eyebrow. "Well, Danica? Aren't you going to thank him?"

"For what?" The teenage girl demanded as she remained sitting in her chair.

"Danica May Trent!" Veronica fumed.

Quincy cast Danica a sad smile before turning to Veronica. "Now, now. Don't be hard on the girl. She's been through a lot these last couple of days."

"That's still no reason to be rude." The woman replied, brushing a strand of frizzing brown hair behind her ear. "Danica, apologize and thank the man."

Danica glared at her aunt for a few seconds more before sighing and standing. "Thank you, Mr. Quincy." She held out a hand and gave him a firm shake when he grasped her hand. "I am grateful for all you done for me."

Quincy's sad smile seemed to get sadder. "Anything for Chelsea and Grant's girl." The corner of Danica's mouth twitched ever so slightly but not enough to be a smile. Veronica began shuffling the teenager out of the room. Quincy was telling the woman what numbers to call should she have any questions and what not. Veronica was gushing with thanks all the while ordering Danica to gather her things. Danica sarcastically wondered to herself what she was to gather. The fire took it all.

As the woman and the girl stepped outside the building, Veronica groaned at the sight of the rain. "Damn! It's still going." She glanced down at the silent teenager with annoyed brown eyes. "Come on. Don't want you making us late for our train." Danica remained on the steps for a second longer, glaring at Veronica's back as she descended the stairs. Sluggishly, Danica followed after - not caring if she got soaked to the bone. Veronica unlocked the car doors and slid into the seat. She honked the horn at the teenager who was only a few feet from the car. Danica concealed her eye rolling and picked up the pace. Opening the door to the passenger side, she slid into her seat. "Seat belt." Veronica snapped as she started the car.

"I was getting to it." Danica retorted, depositing her bag on the floor.

"Don't give me your lip! Just do it!" Veronica snapped back. The teenager muttered something. "What was that?" the exasperating woman demanded, pulling out of the parking lot.

Danica snapped the seat belt into place. "Nothing! Man!" Turning her head, the girl stared out the rain streaked window. This effectively shut down the conversation but did not dissipate the tension. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Distance. Danica's shoulders sagged lower. She would never see this town again. She would never see home again. Home was burnt to the ground. She would never see her parents or their graves again. She would never see her friends again. At least she had what few gifts of clothing and things friends gave her at the funeral. The funeral.

"So why couldn't you make it to Mom's funeral again?" The teenager drawled accusingly.

"Couldn't get the time off work." Veronica replied testily.

"I learned in Consumer Math that they give time off - with pay - for funerals." Danica stated in a smart aleck tone.

"I just couldn't! Okay?" The woman gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Danica turned and sneered at the woman. "Not okay! She's your sister and you didn't even come to her funeral! For cryin' out loud, Veronica! Can't you get over your stupid grudge against Mom and pay some respect to the dead?"

Swerving to the side of the road and receiving a honk from the car behind them, Veronica brought the car to a stop. Turning to glare back into Danica's mismatched eyes, Veronica pointed a manicured nail in her niece's freckled face. "Let's get one thing clear. You are going to be living under _my_ roof so you're going to respect me and my authority! You're just damned lucky I agreed to take you. Another thing, you start talking about your mom and your dad and you can just bet that you'll get the punishment Chelsea shoulda given you for all those stunts you pulled! How she let you get away with half the stuff you did I don't know." Her brown eyes searched the hardened face of the teenager staring back at her in angered silence. "You understand?"

"Fine." Danica mumbled. Turning back to the window, arms folded across her chest. Veronica leaned back into her seat and turned the car out onto the highway again. Blinking back the enraged tears, Danica muttered, "I can't wait till I'm old enough to leave."

"Three years, Danica. Or sooner if you want to get thrown out." Veronica quipped. Silence reigned for the remainder of the trip.

~*/*\*~

The pair drove from the train station to Veronica's house. Thankfully the rain had stopped. Veronica seemed a bit happier now that she was home, but not much happier. Sighing as she gathered her purse and keys, the woman said, "Come on. Time to get you settled."

Danica exited the car and just stared at the two story house. She could only remember visiting her aunt's house once. She remembered she hated every minute of it. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she ascended the porch steps with trepidation. Veronica unlocked and opened the door which released the shouting voices that belonged to the terrors that were Danica's cousins. "Jessica!" Veronica shouted, depositing her purse on a table beside the door. "Where is that girl." She muttered. "Jessica!"

"What!" came a response from upstairs.

"Get your brothers down here to greet Danica!" Veronica shouted as she walked to stand beside the banister. An angered shout that sounded like a growl as well rang through the halls. Footsteps stomped through the upstairs, doors slammed, more people shouting, and then a stampede of three kids came down the stairs. Danica stood staring back at the irritated bunch. The tallest and oldest of the trio was Jessica - blonde, brown eyes, cheerleader build. She was the same age as Danica, sixteen, but that certainly didn't bring the pair closer together. The middle child of the group was Peter - brown hair, brown eyes, a pudge. He was a typical ten year old, therefore, he was absorbed in his Nintendo DS. Eddie, or Edward, was the youngest at six years old. He also had brown hair but unlike his family, he had blue eyes. He was probably the nicest of the group but when he was around Danica he followed the example of his siblings - which wasn't a good one.

"Danica, you'll be sharing a room with Jessica." Veronica was announcing.

"Joy." Jessica sighed as she inspected her pink nail-polished fingers.

"Show her to her room guys. I've got to start dinner." Veronica left the foursome in the foyer and retreated to the kitchen.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Come on." She turned to mount the stairs.

Eddie looked Danica up and down. "Where's your stuff? You're livin' with us so didn't you bring anything with you?"

Danica patted her overly stuffed backpack. "This is all I brought."

Eddie's eyes widened in shock. "That's _all_ you brought?"

"Yeah, Eddie." Jessica spoke from the top of the stairs. Everyone - except Peter - turned to look up at the sneering girl. "Everything burnt up in the fire. Even Aunt Chelsea."

"Shut up, Jessica." Danica warned as she climbed the stairs.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Jessica's voice dripped with false sincerity and innocence.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Danica's mismatched eyes sent daggers to Jessica's very soul. "I said. Shut. Up." Pushing past the angered blonde, Danica walked through the hall without Jessica leading the way. Danica knew where the room was. She didn't need that dimwit's help. She stopped in front of the bedroom door and froze. This was where she was going to be living for the next three years - if she managed to not bring Veronica to the point that she threw the teenager out.

"Aren't ya goin' in?" Danica turned to look down at Eddie.

"Where's Jessica?" She asked.

Eddie shrugged. "She went to go watch TV. Pete followed her but he's still playin' his game." Looking at the door, he asked again, "Are ya goin' in?"

Danica sighed and opened the door. Swinging the door open wide, she looked around the room. The room was pink - Danica hated pink. Everything Jessica owned was pink. The only things not pink was the mattress that was on the far side of the room. Danica stepped into the room and stared at the mattress. "We didn't have time to get you a bed." Eddie explained. He sounded very ashamed of this fact.

" 'sokay." She stated, tossing her bag on the bare mattress. Shuffling through her backpack, Danica started pulling out the bare essentials she owned. Her toothbrush and toothpaste, face wash, travel size shampoo and soap, things like that. Glancing at the dresser and then over at the closet, she highly doubted that Jessica had shuffled things around to make room for her cousin. "I don't suppose there are any bedsheets I could use."

"Well, I could go ask Mom for you." Eddie offered, shifting from one foot to the other.

"That'd be great, Kiddo." Danica replied, starting to like her youngest cousin a bit more.

His nose wrinkled. "You don't hafta call me that, Danica."

Holding up her hand she said, "I won't call you Kiddo as long as you don't call me Danica."

"Well what do you want me to call you?" Eddie frowned in confusion.

"Dan - or Dani." She added the last option cautiously. She hoped he wouldn't call her that.

"Eddie and Dani!" His face broke out into a smile. "Okay, deal!" Eddie began running out of the room. "I'll go ask about the sheets! Be right back!" Dani felt a smile - the first real smile since the whole incident happened. A while later Eddie came back into the room carrying sheets with dump trucks printed all over it. He held them out sheepishly. "Mom told Jessica to get some for you and these are the only ones she said you could have. Sorry. These used to be mine. Do you mind?"

Dani picked them up and shrugged. "They'll work." She could already hear the taunts that Jessica would use when they both went to bed that night. Eddie sat down on the floor and watched the teenage girl start making her bed.

He fidgeted with his finger for a while before breaking the silence. "Did - did Aunt Chelsea really burn up in the fire?"

Dani's movements stilled. Turning her head slightly to stare at him, she noted he wasn't asking out of malice like Jessica probably would but out of morbid curiosity. She returned her attention to her bed. "No."

"Oh. Good." Eddie sounded relieved. There was another long stretch of silence. "So - how did she - um - die?"

"Smoke inhalation and something hit her in the head while she was trying to get out." Dani answered tersely. "She went back inside for something that belonged to Dad. Told her not too." Falling back onto the now made bed she flung her arms over her stinging eyes. "Stupid."

The sound of Eddie shifting alerted her that he was moving. Whether he was leaving or coming closer, Dani wasn't sure. "What was she went back for?" He asked. Raising her arm so she could see him, she discovered that he was sitting by the mattress but his back was to her.

Replacing her arm over her eyes she mumbled. "Dad's medals that were awarded to him while he was serving in the air force."

"Do you still have them?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah." Dani inhaled sharply and swallowed hard. Mom had died to get those medals out of the fire. Dad had served his country and died. Life wasn't fair.

"Are you an orphan now?" Eddie's questions were really starting to bug her.

Sitting up she glared at him. He turned and saw her murderous look. Shuffling back, he stood and backed toward the door with a frightened expression on his own childish face. Sighing again, her shoulders sagged. Dani didn't want to make the only friendly person hate her too. "Hey, I'm not mad at you. Yeah. I'm an orphan now."

Eddie approached her cautiously then sat down beside her. "Well - we'll be your family now."

Dani stared at the floor for a long time. "How 'bout," she began slowly, "how 'bout _you_ be my family? Face it; Jessica hates my guts, your brother ignores my existence, your mom doesn't like me 'cause she thinks I'm a druggie or something, and your dad - well he's oblivious to everything around him."

The boy was silent for a long time before he spoke. "Okay."

Relief washed over the girl. She offered him her rare smile. "Thanks, Eddie."

~*/*\*~

Dinner was as Dani expected. Veronica was harsh and critical over everything Dani did or said. Jessica was demeaning and degrading. Peter shoveled food in his mouth and only laughed when Jessica said something particularly cruel. Eddie silently watched the proceedings in wide-eyed shock. Dani's uncle, Jason, ate and occasionally acted as referee. She couldn't wait to get away from the dinner table.

Thankfully, there was a lull in the conversation. The only sounds were those of the silverware clinking against the plates or the thump of glasses being set down after a drink. Jason paused momentarily to look up at the occupants of the table. "So, Danica." The teenager looked up at him expectantly. "You're going to start school in a few weeks. You'll be in Jessica's grade, right?"

"Yeah." Dani answered, refusing to meet Jessica's irritated glare.

He nodded slowly. "Good. That's good. Um - do you need anything? School supplies that is?"

"All her stuff burnt up in the fire, Dad." Eddie supplied. Jason turned to stare at his son as if he didn't even realize Eddie was there.

"Yeah - I'll need some stuff." Dani answered, trying to get everyone over the awkward moment.

"I'll just add it to the list of things to pick up." Her uncle announced, returning to his meal. Veronica refused to look up from her own plate.

Once the meal ended, Dani was about to retreat from the kitchen but was stopped by Jessica's grating voice. "Mom! Danica is trying to get out of doing her chores!"

"What chores? I just got here." Dani grumbled.

Veronica looked up from clearing the table and frowned. "If you're going to live here, Danica, then I expect you to help out too! From now on, you're in charge of doing the dishes after meals."

"Veronica, the girl just got here. She's been through a lot." Jason intervened quietly. This earned him a glare from his wife.

Dani shrugged her shoulders and without a word started the task. Veronica gave a triumphant smirk which was mirrored by Jessica. Eddie hopped up from his seat declaring, "I'll help!" No one said anything to him. Once everyone had left the pair alone in the kitchen, Eddie said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dani asked, rinsing a plate beneath the sink's faucet.

"For everybody." She glanced down at the six-year-old who was drying a dish carefully with a towel. He looked absolutely miserable.

Kneeling down she turned him to face her. Dani's hands rested on his shoulders while her mismatched eyes searched his face. "In no way, is your family's shit your fault. You don't have to apologize for them. Got that?" He nodded slowly. She nodded once as she stood. "Good. Glad that's cleared up." After two seconds, Eddie chuckled. A smile threatened to turn the corner's of her red lips up. "What's so funny?"

"You said shit." Eddie whispered back for fear his siblings or parents might be listening.

Dani laughed along with him. His mirth was contagious. "You bet I did. Just wait, that's not all I know. I am a 'bad teenager' after all."

~*/*\*~

Bed for Dani and Eddie was at a strict time of eight o'clock. When the teenager demanded to know why she had to go to bed so early, Veronica had patronizingly answered that the poor girl had been through a lot recently. Nah duh! Rolling her eyes, Dani followed close behind Eddie up the stairs, ignoring the snickers she received from her other cousins. Preparing for bed wasn't so bad. It was kind of fun. She and Eddie made faces at each other in the bathroom mirror as they brushed their teeth and Eddie pretended Dani was a monster while she washed her face.

They went their separate ways to their rooms to change into their pajamas. Dani's choices for night wear were limited to a pair of gray shorts and a white T-shirt that looked like it was an XXXL. Settling down on her mattress with a copy of Shakespeare's _Macbeth_, Dani settled in to read till she was tired or Jessica finally came to bed. A few lines into the beginning of the play, there was a timid knock at the door. Looking up she quickly hid the book, calling a hurried, "Come in!"

Eddie's head peaked around the crack he had made in the doorway. "Dani? You still awake?"

"No, I'm talking in my sleep." Her sarcasm pulled a laugh from the little boy. Smiling at him she asked, "What's up, Eddie?"

"Could you - read to me?" He asked hesitantly, holding up a copy of _Redwall_.

"Why don't you ask your dad?" Dani inquired, really wanting to get back to Macbeth and the three Weird Sisters.

Shoulders sagging, the boy mumbled, "Dad never wants to read to me. He tells me to go to bed and leave him alone."

Dani's smile faltered for a few seconds. Patting the space next to her on the mattress, she said, "I'd love to read to you, Eddie." His smile returned as he ran to jump onto the mattress. He crawled over her to get to the spot she motioned to and sat at the ready. Flipping the book open, the teenager cleared her throat - preparing herself for the mood of the story. The characters came alive as she spoke and instantly, she had an enraptured audience in Eddie.

Glancing up at the clock on the nightstand beside Jessica's bed, Dani frowned mentally. "And this is where we'll have to end for the night."

"Awww! Just one more chapter!" Eddie protested, fighting back a yawn.

"No can do, Buddy." Dani used a clean tissue from her backpack as a bookmark. "It's way past your bedtime."

Eddie shook his head. "I don't want to go to bed. Pete says there are goblins under my bed and they'll eat me if he isn't there to scare them off. And Pete doesn't come to bed till really, really late!"

Dani's mental frown turned into a mental scowl. Trying to appear cheerful for her obviously frightened cousin, she announced, "Well I'll just have to kick them out of the room now won't I?" Coaxing him off her mattress, Dani pulled him along behind her by the hand. Flipping the light on in his room, she took a minute to look around. Cars - not the movie just the vehicle - seemed to be the overall theme of the room. She rolled her eyes. "Eddie, I can't kick some Goblin butt if you're clinging to me like that."

Eddie's grip released slowly. "Sorry." Then he giggled. "You said butt."

"That was the tamer word for it." Dani smirked at him over her shoulder as she stepped further into the room. "Okay, so where does _Pete_ say the goblins hide?" Eddie pointed toward the closet and at the space beneath his bed but did not budge from his place beside outside the door in the hall. Nodding to herself and thinking nasty things about her monster of a cousin, Pete, she began 'performing' the 'kick goblin butt'. Once that was done and Eddie was laughing so hard she had to shush him, Dani stood beside his bed with arms outstretched in a 'ta-da' motion. "Safe for you to enter."

Running into the room, he launched himself onto his bed, bouncing a little as he did so. "Thanks, Dani." he said while pulling his sheet and comforter over himself.

"No prob. Anything for family right?" Dani smiled as she handed him a stuffed bunny that sat at the end of his bed.

"See you in the morning." He yawned, rolling over so he faced the wall. She tousled his hair before stepping away from the bed. Pausing once more to look back at him, Dani flipped the lights out and closed the door part way so the light from the hallway still shone in.

Dani returned to her room and to her mattress. Settling back down again, she retrieved the tale of Macbeth. The clock above the mantelpiece in the living room downstairs chimed the hours throughout the house. Dani heard the footsteps and hushed voices of her aunt and uncle coming up the stairs. She quickly turned off the main light and pulled out a flashlight from her backpack. Continuing where she left off, she drowned out the sounds of Veronica and Jason preparing for bed. Silence reigned once again in the house. Several more hours passed and eventually, Dani's eyes grew heavy. Shutting off her flashlight she put book and light away in her unpacked bag before shifting on her mattress. Rolling onto her side, Dani welcomed sleep.

~*/*\*~

A light flicked on, causing Dani to sit straight up in bed - disgruntled and exhausted. A cruel laugh caused her head to turn toward the source of the now speaking intruder. "Oh! I forgot you were here. Did I wake you up?" Dani's mismatched eyes focused on Jessica whose hand was still positioned over the light-switch. Her gaze blearily swung over to the digital clock on the nightstand and she scowled.

"Damnit, Jessica! It's three in the morning!" Dani rubbed a hand over her face.

"Yeah, I was talking on the phone with my boyfriend and lost track of time. Sorry." The 'apology' and explanation sounded fake. Jessica shuffled about the room, yawning and exclaiming how tired she was. Dani rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. She laid back down and pulled the sheets and blanket up to her chin. Jessica continued making a nuisance of herself for a long time before she turned off the light and finally collapsed onto her bed. Dani waited until she was certain that Jessica was asleep before she sat up again. She was awake now and it would be a while before she could fall back asleep. Looking around the room once again, her gaze fell on the window-seat. Hesitantly, she rose from the mattress and tiptoed over to the cushioned bench.

Dani sat down and drew her legs up to her chest. Brushing the black strands away from her face, she let the moonlight fall on her face. The rain had stopped some time in the night but the clouds still drifted in the sky as the wind blew. To the teenager sitting silently, basking in the moonlight, the white circle in the sky looked like crystal. The clouds hid the light for a while before being pushed along. A long, sad sigh escaped Dani's red lips. "I miss you guys." She let her chin rest on her knees. "I feel lost without you, Mom." Silence stretched between her confessions. "Did you give Dad my message? I've kept his medals safe. Just like you wanted." Tears clogged her throat. "I'd rather have _you_ than the medals." Something white fluttered in the breeze outside the window and caught her attention. Dani eyed the tree outside the window in curiosity. A white barn owl settled its wings at its side and blinked slowly at the girl. Frowning at the creature she wondered aloud, "What are you lookin' at?"

_"Someone who is lost and lonely. Like me."_ A deep, masculine voice reverberated in her head. Dani whirled around to look at the room behind her, expecting to see - someone. When she didn't see anyone, the teenager turned back to the window and stared in confusion at the owl. Shaking her head, Dani decided that she was more tired than she thought. _"Sleep peacefully."_ The voice said again as she lay down. Her gaze rose to look out the window once again and she watched as the owl shook itself then took flight.

"Stress. Making me think birds can talk." Dani mumbled into her pillow. As she drifted off, she thought she heard a deep chuckle but was too tired to investigate.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl  
>'Cause it hurts like hell<em>

~*/*\*~

_Beep. Beep. Ba-babeep. Ba-babeep. Beep! Beep! BEEP! BEEP!_ Dani jerked awake and looked around in confusion. Her eyes landed on a pink alarm clock that was flashing and making the obnoxious noise. Jessica groaned and cursed beneath her breath. Dani scowled as Jessica's perfectly tanned arm rose from beneath her comforter to instantly slam a hand down on the snooze button. Jessica sighed and for all appearances had no intention of getting up. Dani grumbled and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She needed a shower and breakfast.

Gathering her travel-size soup, shampoo, conditioner, and a pair of clothes to change into, Dani stumbled out of the monstrous pink room she shared with her cousin. Relief washed over her when she found the bathroom unoccupied. She was even more relieved to see that there was a way to lock the door. The last thing she wanted was Peter coming in on accident - or on purpose - or for Jessica to barge in demanding for her turn in the shower. Dani turned the knobs in the shower and while she waited for the water to heat up she pulled her jumbo large T-shirt over her head. The teenager didn't waste any time before jumping under the warm water and let a smile tug at her lips. She loved her shower time.

All too soon she heard someone outside the bathroom door. "Hurry up, Danica! You've been in there all morning!" Jessica's grating voice shouted through the door.

"Danica, get out of the shower so your cousins can have a turn!" Veronica ordered, jiggling the locked door handle for emphasis.

Rolling her eyes, Dani called out, "I'm almost done!" She quickly rinsed the suds from her hair and with a flick of her wrist shut off the water. Shaking water from her cropped hair and wringing droplets from her long bangs, Dani stepped out of the shower. Her hurried motions allowed her to dry herself off with a ready towel and to dress quickly in a pair of baggy khaki pants and the gray shirt she wore yesterday. Dani opened the door and stood staring into the irritated face of the two older cousins.

Jessica eyed Dani disdainfully. "Took you long enough." The blonde pushed her way around Dani and slammed the door.

Peter shouldered around Dani to bang a fist on the door and to kick it with his socked foot. "Jessica! I was here first! I need to go!"

"You're too slow!" Jessica shouted back before drowning out any more disturbances with the flow of shower water.

Dani quickly hurried downstairs to get away from Peter's grumbling and glaring eyes. The teenager walked into the kitchen and smiled to see Eddie already seated at the table with his own infectious grin on his face. "Dani! Mom's making pancakes!"

"Really? Sounds like a plan." The teen girl sat down next to him. Her face became serious but her mismatched eyes held an amused glint to them. "So did you have any problems with goblins last night?"

"Danica, don't go filling his head with such foolish stories! I don't want him having nightmares again." Veronica complained as she walked briskly into the kitchen dressed up for something.

Eddie leaned over to Dani so he could whisper in her ear, "They left me alone the whole night! Thanks for kicking goblin _butt_." Here he giggled and Dani had to bite her lip to keep in her own laughter.

Veronica interrupted yet again as she dug through her purse. "I'm off to work. Jessica's in charge until I get back -"

"But you said you'd make pancakes today!" Eddie protested standing up in his chair.

"Edward sit down!" Veronica scolded. "And I did not say I would make them today. I said I'd make them sometime." The little boy sat down dejectedly as Veronica lifted a set of keys off a hook. "As I was saying, Jessica's in charge until I get back." She turned to glare at Dani. "If she gives me a phone call about _any_ misbehavior, then there will be some serious consequences when I get home. Is that clear?"

Dani kept her face at a blank, bored expression. "Don't you think Peter should be down here for this little speech?"

"Shut up, Danica!" Veronica snapped. "I don't have time for you sass. I've got to get to work and if you make me late so help me -" Her eyes glanced down at what the teen girl was wearing and her nose wrinkled in disgust. "You wore that shirt yesterday, young lady! And those pants! They're absolutely wrinkled! And they can't be your size - are you wearing _boy _pants?"

Dani was tempted to scoot her chair back and prop her feet on the table - but she didn't. "I'm wearing this shirt because all my other shirts are far too big for me or their dirty. I don't have any other shirts that are suitable because these are whatever people were able to give away after the fire. As for the pants, they are _not_ boy pants. They're simply too big and having been stuffed in my backpack hasn't helped unwrinkle them."

"Then why didn't you put them in the dresser drawer Jessica cleaned out for you?" Veronica asked in a tone that strained to keep her temper in check.

Dani quirked an eyebrow. "Jessica hasn't cleared a drawer out for me. Or space in her closet."

Veronica sighed but it sounded more like a growl. Lifting her hands in the air she turned back to her purse that rested on the counter. "I don't have time for this!" She marched out of the kitchen and could be heard shouting up the stairs. "Jessica! I'm leaving for work now! The list of chores for everybody is on the fridge and clear some space for Danica like I _told_ you!" Dani counted the steps her aunt took to get to the door then cringed when the front door slammed shut.

A sad sigh brought her attention down to Eddie. His lip stuck out in a pout. "I wanted pancakes. She _said_ she would make pancakes _today_."

"I'll make you pancakes, 'kay?" Dani assured kindly - a bit guilty that he had witnessed the entire exchange. Eddie's face instantly brightened and Dani couldn't help but feel her heart warm for the kid. With some help from the youngest cousin, Dani was able to find the pancake mix, bowls, pans, and spatula. While she began doling out batter onto the pan, Jessica and Peter entered the kitchen.

"Don't burn the breakfast like you burned down your house." Jessica taunted as she pranced over to the refrigerator. Dani's grip on the pan's handle tightened but she made no reply or other sign that she had heard. Jessica pulled out a saran wrapped grapefruit then shut the refrigerator. "Oh look! The list of chores." With a jerk she tore the piece of paper off the door and sent the magnet holding it in place crashing to the floor. "Hmm... dishes, laundry, vacuuming, dusting, window washing, cleaning the bathroom... you'll be busy all day, Danica!"

This time Dani did turn around to glare at Jessica. "Your mom said there were chores for everyone. That includes you too."

"Are you acting up, Danica? 'Cause I have Mom's cell phone number on speed dial." Jessica grinned wickedly. Dani's jaw tightened but she remained silent. The blonde lifted her head triumphantly. "That's what I thought. I'll be up in my room! No one - _no one_ - disturb me or else." She sent a glare around the room but lingered on Dani for a moment longer than the rest. As the girl flounced out of the room, Dani wished the boys weren't here so she could lift her hand up and - never mind.

"How many pancakes do you want, Eddie?" The teen girl mumbled.

Eddie shuffled beside her, watching her - it seemed - very carefully. "Um - four?"

"I'll have six!" Peter announced from where he sat at the table. "And don't burn them! Or I'll tell Jessica you did it on purpose!"

Dani noticed from out of the corner of her eye that Eddie stuck his tongue out at his older brother. She smiled but didn't say anything. Eddie looked back up at her. "I'll help you with the chores, Dani."

"Thanks, Eddie." Dani snatched the chore list from the counter top and glanced over it. Sure enough, the chores had been divided up - but certainly not in an even manner. A majority of the chores were already Dani's anyway. "We'll start once breakfast is done." Settling her eyes on Peter, she gave him one of her chilling glares. "_You_ are going to help too. And if you don't, I'll call your mom."

"Only Jessica can call Mom 'cause she's in charge!" Peter retorted as he cringed from Dani's intense glare.

"Does it look like I care?" Dani inquired as she fisted her hands and placing them on her hips. Peter shook his head and mumbled something about helping. A smirk crossed her features and Dani nodded. "All right then. Who wants pancakes?"

~*/*\*~

Back and forth. Back and forth. Dani went through the simple motions of vacuuming without really paying much attention. She couldn't wait to be finished with this simple task! She couldn't wait to be done with these chores period. Thankfully they hadn't taken quite as long. Some had when Eddie's attempts at helping didn't exactly - help. Peter had tried to weasel his way out of the chores by messing up but when Dani made him fix his mistakes in addition to doing the chore correctly, he reluctantly came into compliance.

From upstairs, Jessica shouted, "Can you turn off that thing? I'm _trying_ to talk on the phone." Dani smirked and continued vacuuming. She figured she could ignore Jessica and blame the noise. "Danica! DANICA!" Jessica's voice could have broken glass.

Satisfied that her job was done, Dani turned off the machine and turned with a blank look on her face. "Did you say something, Jessica?"

"Yes." She hissed through her teeth. "I said, turn that thing _off_ so I can talk on the _phone_."

Dani smirked. "Well, luckily for you - I'm done. No need to turn it back on!" Ignoring her seething cousin, Dani called, "Eddie! Peter! Chores are done!"

"Finally." Peter mumbled as he came to collapse on the couch in the den. "I'm going to play some Nintendo."

"Dani! Can we go to the park?" Eddie came running down the stairs, pushing past his sister.

Dani tilted her head in curiosity while she coiled the vacuum's cord up. "There's a park nearby?" Eddie nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah." Jessica's all too sweet tone purred. "But Mom's not here and I'm in charge so looks like you can't go."

Dani scowled up at Jessica. "I'll be with him. I'm old enough to look out for him."

Jessica scoffed. "I don't care how old you are. You're not going to the park 'cause I said so. Don't even think about sneaking out or else I'll call Mom."

"It's just down the road, Jess." Eddie stated in a timid voice.

Jessica glared at her youngest brother. "I. Said. _No_. What I say goes." She looked over at Dani and narrowed her eyes. "Besides, you don't want to be seen with an arsonist? Do you?"

Eddie looked very confused. "What's an arsonist?"

Jessica smirked. "Why don't you ask Danica?"

Dani was glaring up at Jessica but kept her voice in a level tone. "I did _not_ torch my own home, Jessica."

"But you don't deny torching something?" Jessica accused.

"I did not say that!" Dani retorted. "I have never committed an act of arson ever!"

Jessica shook her head, sending her blonde hair waving about her head. "That's not what _I_ heard."

"Yeah well - your mom has a tendency to exaggerate the bloody truth." Dani shifted her weight to her heels and folded her arms across her chest. "The stuff I _did_ do on the other hand was nothing of great significance. Your mom just couldn't stand to see me 'tarnish'" and here she used quote marks with her fingers before saying, "the family name. Of course it wasn't even _her_ name I was tarnishing now was it? And _my_ mom and dad had just as much fun as I did."

Jessica's face was turning red as she gripped the stair railing. "How dare you!" She made a strangled growling sound which made Eddie step behind Dani to cower. "You're nothing but a - a -"

"A what, Jessica?" Dani challenged. "Go ahead. Say it! Say all the stuff Veronica has said about me and my mom since my mom married my dad! Say all the stuff Veronica said 'cause she was jealous!"

"You're trash!" Jessica shouted. "Trash and a vandalizing rebel that will account to nothing and end up in jail or in an alley high on drugs! You and your dad made Aunt Chelsea miserable and she was probably dying of heartbreak anyway! You just sped along the process by torching your own house so you could get a hold of the money!"

Dani stood, arms folded over her chest and glaring up at Jessica. The uncomfortable silence lengthened from the moment Jessica spoke. A cruel smirk lifted the corner of Dani's mouth. "Is that all? Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Dani?" Eddie tugged on her shirt's hem. "Can we - just go outside? Please?" Dani glanced down at her cousin standing frightened behind her. Her anger melted away instantly and she put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. We'll just go out back since we can't go to the park." She smiled reassuringly. "You can show me the park some other day, 'kay?" Eddie nodded. Dani pushed him toward the kitchen and ultimately toward the back door. "I'll meet you out there." She waited till she heard the back door shut before turning to look up at Jessica with a neutral expression on her face. "You think _my_ mom's marriage was miserable?" Dani watched as Jessica averted her eyes and a blush of embarrassment replaced the one of anger. Dani took a step back toward the kitchen. "I'll be outside with Eddie."

~*/*\*~

Dinner that night was unusually silent. No harsh words or condescending remarks were passed around - directed toward Dani. Veronica kept her eyes on her plate but her fork and knife attacked the meat on her plate in an almost vicious manner. Dani glanced every once in a while at the empty spot that should have been her uncle. He was working late again tonight.

Jessica was the first to rise from the table. "May I be excused?"

"Yes." Veronica nodded her head once in a jerking motion.

"Me too?" Peter asked shoveling one last bite of food into his mouth. Once again, his mother gave her jerking head nod. Peter ran from the room and as Jessica left she lingered to give Dani a look that said, 'You're gonna get it'.

Eddie set his fork down with a clatter. "I'm done too! I'll help you with the dishes, Dani."

"Not tonight, Eddie." Veronica injected.

He looked up at his mother with a bewildered expression. "But -"

"Go to your room, Edward!" Veronica glared at him. Eddie cringed beneath his mother's gaze but hurried to obey.

Dani set her utensils down and reached for her cup of water. Taking a drink, she ignored the burning gaze her aunt was directing at her. The teen set her glass down before finally turning her head and her full attention on Veronica. "I take it you want to talk to me about something."

"Right off the bat and you've got a flippant tone!" Veronica accused in a shrill voice.

"I wasn't being flippant. Just stating the obvious." Dani replied calmly.

"Quiet, Danica! I'm going to talk and you're going to listen." Veronica waited to see if the teen would speak. When she didn't, the woman continued. "I thought I made it clear that you were not going to talk about your parents or your escapades while in my house." Dani didn't respond. Veronica's brown eyes narrowed. "So why is it that when I get home, Jessica tells me you were actually _bragging_ about things?"

Dani tried to keep her voice and face emotionless. "Well, at least I now know where she gets her ability to exaggerate."

Veronica slammed her hand on the table top, rattling the silverware and utensils. "Danica! You are this close to getting tossed out of this house!"

"So what?" Dani demanded. "I never wanted to be here anyway. Why did you even bother taking me in the first place? You hated Mom. You hated Dad. You hate me. So why even bother?" Dani's bangs fell in front of her right eye so only her green eye was glaring at Veronica. "To keep your precious family name?"

Veronica stood abruptly and slapped Dani across the face. The teen let her head travel with the blow but she refused to turn back to meet her aunt's gaze. The woman shook with suppressed anger. "You've done enough to hurt this family."

"Me? Or my mom?" Dani questioned. "You keep transferring the blame to someone who wasn't even born or around when certain things happened."

"You. All - you." Veronica hissed. "Truth hurts doesn't it?"

Dani stood and began collecting the dishes. "So what now?" The teen asked as she turned her back on her aunt. "Throw me out? Tarnish your name further?"

Veronica was silent while the girl let the sink tap run water. Once the sink was filled with dish soap, water, and dishes, Dani shut the water off and waited. Veronica said, "One more word - just _one_ _more word_ about your parents and your life with them - and I _will_ throw you out. I will make sure that you never get your hands on any of the contents from your mother's will. You will be destitute and without a friend or family member in the world." Dani stood staring out the window above the sink, her jaw tight with tension. Her aunt asked, "Is. That. Clear?"

In a tight voice, Dani replied. "As crystal."

~*/*\*~

Dani went to bed at the childishly early time that Veronica had enforced upon her. She was relieved to see that Eddie had fallen asleep sometime after his banishment to his room and Dani hoped that he would not wake up looking for her. Dani lay on her mattress and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't sleep. She didn't want to sleep. When Jessica finally came into the room, flicking on the light, Dani sat up. She sat cross-legged and watched Jessica's every move. The teenage girl felt some satisfaction at being able to unnerve her cousin.

Finally, Jessica whirled to face Dani. "What?"

Dani stared up at the blonde. "Just looking at a liar and a coward."

Jessica snorted. "I didn't lie. Mom was right. You can't handle the truth 'cause it hurts too much." She turned off the light and jumped into bed. Dani sat in the dark, glaring at her cousin. Once Jessica's breathing evened out - signaling that she was asleep, Dani stood and walked over to the window seat. Hot tears fell onto her hands that were fisted and resting on her knees.

"It wasn't true. Nothing they said was true." Dani insisted to herself. Her eyes darted to something flying toward the house. It was that owl from last night. "What do you want?" She demanded angrily once the owl had settled itself on the tree branch. The brown eyes of the bird blinked lazily before tilting its head. Dani sighed and chose to ignore the bird. "Lies hurt." She sagged against the wall behind her back. "But truth does hurt too. The truth that I'm stuck here with people who hate me. The truth that my parents are gone. The truth that no one in this whole world loves me." Dani shut her eyes against the tears. "Truth sucks."

_"And it hurts like hell."_ Her eyes shot open. There was that voice again. Looking around she shivered. Just her imagination. _"Do you really have no one to love you?"_ The voice asked. Dani decided to focus on the owl - let her stress filled mind believe that the bird was talking to her. The accented voice questioned, _"What about that young boy? He seems to care about you."_

"Eddie." Dani whispered sadly. "He has no idea why -" She sighed and shook her head. "I hope he never has to find out." Glancing at the barn owl she tilted her head. Dani could have sworn the owl mimicked her. Rubbing the tears away with a fist full of her huge shirt, she nodded. "Thanks, talking owl." The white bird shook itself to ruffle its feathers then launched up into the air.

_"Sleep well, lonely girl."_ The voice bade farewell. Dani returned to the mattress on the floor and curled up around a wooden box that she had left there. As her eyes drooped shut, she thought she heard a whispered sigh. _"Such a pity."_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Daddy, daddy, get me out of here!_

~*/*\*~

The dreary summer days passed by like a horrific Cinderella story for Dani. Unfortunately, there wasn't a prince charming coming to rescue her. Veronica was tyrannical, Jessica was a power-hungry task master, Peter and Jason were oblivious to much of the goings on, and Eddie - blessed little Eddie was Dani's only ray of sunshine during the rainy days.

Eventually, Eddie was able to convince his parents - with a great deal of Jason's help - to let him show Dani the park. The first day they went was a bit overcast but nothing could dampen Eddie's spirits. He jumped in puddles, sending water flying with his camo colored rain-boots. Dani walked a distance behind him with her jean jacket pulled protectively around her to fight off the humidity. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched Eddie laugh in delight. This was probably the first time she had seen him act like a happy kid. Normally he was just a little scared whenever he was home. Her train of thought caused her lips to turn down. Dani wondered what life had been like for Eddie before she arrived.

"We're almost there, Dani!" Eddie announced as he stopped on a street corner. Dani chanced a glance into the shop window and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a book store. She made a mental note to stop by again sometime. Eddie took her hand and tugged for her to follow. Dani pushed her previous contemplations to the back of her mind. Today, she would try to make Eddie as happy as any kid deserved to be. "Well?" he asked eagerly, "What do you think?"

Dani looked around at the lush green park and just stood still to take in the sights around her. There was a river that ran through the park, trees surrounded it making the park seem more like a field in the middle of nowhere instead of a park in the middle of a small town. She let her eyes pause on the metal playground set that seemed out of place with all the nature around them. Dani's eyes followed the path of the river and she instantly fell in love with the stone bridge that stretched over it. The bushes that lay beyond the river caught her curiosity. She wasn't sure why - but there seemed to be something important over there.

"Do you like it?" Eddie's question brought her out of her almost daze. Dani looked down at him and smiled at the worried, lip-biting boy.

"I love it! Where do you like to hang out when you come here?" She let Eddie drag her over to the playground to show her all his favorite hideaways. Dani couldn't help zoning every once in a while - her thoughts and gaze returning to the bushes beyond the river.

The pair spent hours in the park. Eddie laughed and his mirth spilled over, touching Dani and lifting her own laughter from within her. The town clock struck six, bringing them out of their fun and games. Dani sighed as she stood from the wet wooden step leading up to the metal slide. "We better get back for dinner."

"I wish we didn't have to go." Eddie mumbled from where he sat.

Dani's heart clenched at the sight of the miserable boy. "Hey." She squatted down in front of him so they were eye level. Dani brushed her bangs back behind her ear so both her eyes could search his face. Eddie didn't meet her gaze. She smiled, just in case he was looking at her from his peripheral vision. "Things may seem tough now, but it'll get better. _We'll_ make things better. You and me - we're family. Nothing changes that."

Eddie chanced a glance at her. "Promise?"

She smiled sadly. "I promise we'll always be family. But I can't promise much else than that." Dani was shocked when Eddie flung his arms around her neck and hugged her tight. She didn't hesitate to embrace him and return the tight hug. Slowly, she released him and began pushing him away. "Come on. We better get back."

As they walked back through the town - Eddie's energy gone and his feet dragging - the silence stretched. Eventually, his hand found hers and Dani gave him a reassuring smile before squeezing his small hand in hers. As they got closer to the house, Eddie asked, "Can we go back to the park soon?"

"Sure thing, Eddie." Dani answered. She inwardly cringed when the door opened to reveal Veronica standing on the porch, her hands on her hips. Dani squared her shoulders and took on the air of someone confident and upbeat. She smiled once more down at Eddie. "Sure thing."

~*/*\*~

The day began with birds singing before the sun even rose. That was enough to wake Dani from her dreams. Rolling over so she faced the room and the window, she slowly opened her eyes and tried focusing her bleary eyes on Jessica's digital clock. It read six o'clock and if she wanted to get the bathroom and the shower before Jessica or Peter, she had better get up now.

Dani groaned quietly as she sat up and twisted till her back popped. Tilting her head from side to side, she cracked her neck as well. Satisfied, she shoved her meager blankets aside and stood from the mattress. The teenager hurried to gather her shower things and a change of wrinkled clothes from her one dresser drawer - which Jessica had begrudgingly relinquished. Dani slipped out into the hallway and made a beeline for the bathroom.

Several minutes later and she was out of the bathroom. Quickly returning to the bedroom, Dani spared a glance at Jessica's still sleeping form and then at the clock which now read 6:36. Rolling her eyes, Dani stored her nightwear in her drawer before leaving the room once again. In her socked feet, Dani padded down the hallway and toward the stairs. She planned on eating a simple breakfast consisting of a bowl of cereal then she would sit down in the empty living room to read from her copy of _Macbeth_.

Lost in the murder and deceit of the Shakespearean play, Dani missed the sounds of people in the rooms above waking. Jessica was yelling at Peter to get out of the bathroom while Eddie shouted to Veronica, questioning where his pants were. Jason was the first to come down the stairs, tying his neck tie and carrying his briefcase. He was about to charge out the door but he stopped upon seeing Dani sitting quietly and patiently in the living room. He set his briefcase down and finished tugging the fabric of his tie through the loop he had made.

"Excited for your first day of school?" Jason asked his niece.

She looked up from her book and gave him half a smile. It was all she gave him whenever he spoke to her. "Yeah. Thanks again for the school supplies."

"Don't mention it." He mumbled as he checked his wrist watch.

Veronica practically flew down the steps with curlers in her hair and a fluffy pink bathrobe wrapped around herself but she stopped when she spotted her husband and niece. "You staying for breakfast, Jason?"

As if jolted from a daze, Jason snatched up his briefcase. "No time. See you at five. I'll call if I have to stay later." He hurried out the front door without so much as a backward glance.

Veronica listened as the car engine started and frowned out the window as Jason drove down the street. Turning, she scowled even more at Dani. "Don't forget to make a sack lunch. I'm not paying for cafeteria food." Dani wordlessly held up the brown, paper bag sitting on the couch beside her and her backpack. Veronica heard another shout from upstairs and with a groaning sigh, hurried back up to see what the matter was. "If you three don't get your butts down here in five minutes, I'm going to make you all walk to school!"

"In the rain?" Jessica shrieked in horror. Dani lifted her head to look over her shoulder and out the window. Sure enough, it was raining - again. _Does it ever do anything else other than rain here?_ The girl wondered as she asked herself what she would do about the rain. She didn't own an umbrella. Stuffing her book into her backpack, Dani stood up and hurried back up the stairs to retrieve her jacket.

Jessica was just coming out of the bedroom when Dani topped the stairs. "Hurry up!" her cousin snapped. Dani rolled her eyes but made no reply. Looking around the room upon entering it, the girl walked toward the dresser drawer. She couldn't remember where she had last put her jacket.

"Hurry, Dani! Mom's almost done getting ready." Eddie whispered loudly as he too rushed by the room. In a last ditch attempt at finding her jacket, Dani threw open the closet doors and sighed in relief. Snatching the jacket off its hanger, she practically sprinted down the stairs. She skidded to a stop just as she reached the front door and groaned. Her backpack. Dani turned and ran into the living room and grabbed her backpack and lunch bag.

She stepped out onto the covered porch and looked irritably up at the pouring sky. First day of school at a new school and it was raining. Dani held her jacket over her head, not bothering putting it on. Her sneakers squelched in the mud as she cut across the lawn to the garage. Dani looked up to see how many of her cousins were waiting. Everyone was seated in the car - including Veronica. Dani mentally groaned before she opened the backseat car door and slid in beside Eddie.

Veronica turned to glare at Dani and by all appearances was about to scold the teenager, but Eddie interjected, "Come on, Mom! We're going to be late." Veronica glanced from her son to Dani before scowling at her again. Thankfully, Veronica returned her attention to the steering wheel and put the car into reverse. Dani snapped her seat belt into place, giving Eddie a smile of gratitude.

The drive was quiet and short. Veronica instructed the group to be waiting for her after school before driving off. The foursome hurried like every other student getting dropped off to the awning over the sidewalk. Safe from getting wet, Dani spared a moment to look up at the school building. She sighed. One public school looked almost the same as any other to her.

"See you after school, Dani!" Eddie called to her as he ran to catch up with some classmates. She smiled and waved to his retreating form before letting her hand drop to her side. Shouldering her bag, Dani followed the flow of student traffic.

The first place all students had to congregate was the gymnasium for registration and to receive schedules. Dani hoped the school was big enough that Jessica couldn't influence how everyone saw or treated her. She glanced around at the assembly from behind the strands of long hair that fell before half of her face.

Students were gravitating toward the bleachers and chairs, looking for friends or a group to associate with. Dani took a deep breath for confidence and began walking toward a row with some empty seats. She settled down on the aisle chair before shrugging her shoulder bag off. Glancing to her right, she watched the people sitting next to her as they talked.

Another girl came up to the same row and smiled apologetically. "Excuse me." Dani moved her feet and bag so this new girl could shuffle by and sit down in the empty seat next to her. With a loud sigh, the girl sat down before turning and grinning at Dani. "Thanks!"

"No problem." Dani returned the smile but remained quiet otherwise. The girl turned to the group beside her and fell into a conversation.

Dani returned to inspecting the growing crowd but her thoughts were interrupted once again. "So are you new here? I don't think I've seen you before."

Dani turned her head to look at the girl sitting beside her. "Yeah. I - moved here recently."

The girl beamed encouragingly. "That's cool! I'm Sophie. These are my friends," she leaned back to motion with her hand to the others as she spoke, "Grace, Charlotte, and that's Greg on the end."

Dani smiled and nodded at the group. "Nice to meet you. I'm Danica."

Grace tilted her head and scrunched her nose up. "Danica - that's a different name."

Dani shrugged. "My parents were into different stuff."

"That's still pretty cool though." Charlotte asserted as she nudged Grace in the arm.

"What grade are you?" Greg asked, moving the topic away from names.

"I'm a sophomore." Dani replied, brushing her bang back so she could look at the group clearly.

Charlotte grinned. "That means you and I are in the same grade and probably in some classes together!"

"What about you three?" Dani glanced over at Sophie then at Greg and Grace.

"Juniors." Grace answered as she sat up a little, proudly. "But Charlotte -"

"Dude! Your eyes are different colors!" Sophie exclaimed as she leaned suddenly into Dani's face for a closer look.

Dani backed away, her space invaded by a relative stranger. "Um - yeah. Been that way for a while too."

Grace pulled on Sophie's arm. "Sorry. Sophie tends to be a bit - dramatic."

Sophie pouted for a few seconds before glancing at Dani sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry about that. But hey, it's cool! I thought people only could have different eye colors because of contact lenses. Those aren't contacts, right?"

Dani grinned. "No, they're my real eye color."

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Grace called the attention back to herself with a pointed glare in Sophie's direction, "Charlotte's been my friend since kindergarten, so when she got to high school, I introduced her to my circle of friends."

"And we've hung out together ever since." Charlotte supplied.

"Do you know anybody that goes here?" Greg asked.

Dani froze. What should she do? Tell the truth and explain her relations? They would find out eventually. With a shrug of one shoulder, Dani nodded. "Yeah - I'm related to Jessica, Peter, and Eddie Drake." She watched as the smile on Charlotte's face faded and the other three struggled to appear cheerful - but it didn't reach their eyes.

"Oh - Jessica? How are you related to her?" Grace asked.

"She's my cousin." Dani admitted. "I'm living with her family."

"So why aren't you sitting with her?" Charlotte demanded. Her tone and demeanor radiated of hostility.

Dani sighed inwardly. Apparently Jessica didn't need to spread rumors. Jessica's reputation alone and the blood relation they shared would be a turn off. "She and I aren't exactly close."

Greg, who seemed to be the friendly mediator of the group, seemed to turn curious at her answer. "Really? So - you don't like her?"

"She hates me. But it's kind of a mutual dislike." Dani stated. The group relaxed a bit, but Dani had a feeling they still didn't trust her completely.

"Well that's a shame." Sophie said, as if it really were sad that the cousins disliked each other. She opened her mouth to say more, but the principal was stepping up to the microphone. All conversations stopped as beginning of the year formalities were addressed.

Dani sat back and listened only partially. Glancing every once in a while out of the corner of her eye, she wondered what the group was thinking. She hoped she could count them as friends someday. The next three years of high school might become unbearable without an ally.

~*/*\*~

Lunch time came around and with it, Dani received an unexpected invitation from Charlotte. She followed the other girl through the lunchroom toward a table where the rest of her group of friends were sitting. Dani clenched her lunch bag nervously in her hand.

"Ugh. I hate math. _Any_ form of math." Charlotte groused as she slid into a chair beside Grace. "What about you, Dani?"

"Algebra is okay." Dani sat down slowly in the vacant seat next to Sophie and glanced around at the group.

"You just don't appreciate the finer nuances." Greg accused while taking a bite out of his pizza slice.

Charlotte's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Just because we're all not math wizards like you Greg -"

"Mathematical equations are puzzles! And patterns." He mumbled around his next bite.

Grace rolled her eyes. "_Anyway_," she turned to smile at Dani. "How are you liking your first day, Danica?"

"Well enough." The girl replied while pulling out a sandwich bag.

"School is school." Sophie grumbled. "How anyone can like it is beyond me. If somebody actually _loves_ school, they should be admitted to an institution. And yes, I'm including you into that lot, Greg."

Dani laughed along with the group at Greg's mock-offended expression. She took a sip from her water bottle and turned to look around at the cafeteria. Her heart nearly stopped when she spied Jessica at a table of girls that almost looked like carbon copies of her blonde cousin. They were all glaring in Dani's direction, and by all appearances, talking about Dani in heated discussion. She prayed Jessica wouldn't come over and ruin the day that was going so well.

Dani felt relief when Jessica's head turned away to talk to her groupies. Maybe her cousin would only content herself with gossiping among her cronies. But when Jessica stood abruptly from her table and began marching - or runway-walking - toward Dani and her lunch-mates, Dani felt her heart sink.

The whole table seemed to feel the approaching disaster. The whole cafeteria seemed to. Conversations quieted, eyes followed the vindictive blonde's path. Jessica stopped behind Danica's chair and shifted her weight to one leg and crossed her arms. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave a sugary-sweet smile. "It's so nice of you to include Danica like this, Charlotte."

"Well, she is new." Charlotte grumbled.

"Yeah - new to the school." Jessica smirked. Dani didn't know when, but sometime during the course of Jessica's approach, Dani had turned her face so she was staring down at her hands and not up at her looming cousin. Tilting her head, Jessica said, "Of course, I just hope your kindness isn't misguided. Hopefully your taking her under your wings won't damage your reputation any. You know what they say, 'guilty by association'."

Sophie's gaze flickered in Dani's direction. "What do you mean?"

Jessica lifted her hands up and shrugged her shoulder with a pitying expression on her face. "Oh, you don't want people thinking you're the rebellious type. Especially the teachers. Or the type who would potentially go out killing people."

Grace snorted, giving Jessica a look that said, 'are you crazy?'. "Killing? What are you talking about?"

"Well, Dani's mom died in a fire. A very suspicious fire." Jessica blinked several times and lifted a hand to wipe beneath her eye. "It was out of the kindness of my mother's heart that Dani came to live with us instead of getting shipped off somewhere. Good thing no one pressed charges or pressed for an investigation."

Dani's hands clenched. "It was an electrical malfunction. An old house." she said loud enough for those in close proximity to hear. "Mom went back in to get something."

"Of course, that's just the biggest thing." Jessica continued. "You don't want to know everything Danica did _before_ that. It breaks my family's heart knowing that she has fallen so low. My mom hopes to help her. And it's nice of you guys to take an interest in her too." Jessica gave them all worried looks. "Sophie, I just hope you can still remain in the drama club."

Jessica then clucked her tongue. "Oh, and Greg! What would happen if all those perfect grades of yours - that we all _know_ you earn because of hard work - get passed off as you cheating?" Her eyes fell on Grace and Charlotte. "I can only _imagine_ what people might suggest you two are up to – stuff that's not at all true."

The long strands of her black hair fell in front of her green eye. Dani stood from her seat and turned to glare at Jessica. "That's enough, Jessica. You've done enough!"

Jessica took a step back and in an alarmed voice said, "Don't get so angry, Danica! I'm just concerned for them!"

"Danica." she turned to glance back at Sophie who had a tight-lipped expression. "Maybe you should - go cool off." Dani glanced over the group she had been laughing with only moments ago. They all were looking at her like she was a monster or something equally as frightening.

She snatched up her paper-bag lunch and shoved her way past Jessica. Dani felt the eyes of the students follow her. Their shocked, disgusted, and judgmental gazes burned her very soul. Dani stormed out of the cafeteria and stalked the mostly empty halls.

Dani hated them. She hated all of them! Jessica for telling lies, for ruining Dani's new chance at life. She hated those close-minded twits that believed a girl they didn't even _like_ just because she catered to their fears and threatened what they held dear. Dani felt tears sting her eyes. Most of all, she hated herself for not being the kind of person who could stand up for herself and offer a good enough argument in her own defense.

_No_. She thought bitterly, _I can be sarcastic and rude to my relatives but in front of an entire school, I choke. I'm such a spaz!_

She turned back from the path she had taken through the halls and decided to go to the bathroom to wash the tear stains from her face. Dani tossed her half-eaten lunch into a garbage can on her way through the halls. Her appetite was gone. She reached the restroom and headed straight to the sink.

Dani let the cool water run over her hands as she just stared at her own reflection. Her eyes were red and watery. Her hair draped over her face as she shook her head at the miserable picture she made.

Voices from the hallway interrupted her silent contemplations. Dani began splashing her face and hoped whoever was coming was not a group of people from the cafeteria. Or if they were, that they would leave her alone. The voices did come into the restroom, and they stopped suddenly.

Dani didn't look up. She didn't want to see them. She didn't care who they were. She reached for a paper towel and began patting her face dry.

"Well, if it isn't Jessica's freak of a cousin." One girl said as she came around to stand on one side of Dani. The girl leaned against the sink and smirked. Dani noted that it was one of Jessica's carbon copies but remained silent.

"It's a good think Jessica warned those guys about you." Another girl piped in, her jaw smacking as she chewed on a piece of gum. "Who knows what you would have done to them."

"Most likely would have brainwashed them. Or gotten them hooked on dope." A third girl said nonchalantly as she stepped up to the mirror and began to apply lip gloss.

The first girl who was still standing beside Dani said, "I don't understand _why_ Jessica's mom took you in. You better not corrupt Jessica's brothers. Or kill the whole family."

"Why don't you just go back to where you came from, you freak?" Bubble-gum girl snapped. "No one wants you here."

Dani tossed the paper towel into the face of the girl standing beside her and shoved her out of her way before quickly striding out. "Who said I wanted to be here?" Dani grumbled as she fled down the hallway.

The bell rang, alerting students that it was time to make their way to their next class if they had not started to already. Dani hurried to her locker, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed her. She hurried on to her class.

Once there she looked around for an empty seat. Charlotte was in the middle and there was a seat open next to her. When their gazes met, Charlotte hastily looked away and flagged another girl over to take the empty seat. Dani made her way to the back row and plopped down. She let everyone know she was upset.

Dani flipped her copy of _Macbeth_ open and tuned out everyone around her. She read in silence as the bell for class to start rang. She ignored the teacher as he introduced himself and began explaining the class procedures.

"Miss Trent." Her head lifted, half of her face shrouded by hair. The teacher was frowning at her from the front of the room. Students had turned in their seats to look back at her. "Miss Trent, class has started and although I appreciate your enthusiasm to read, now is _not_ the time. Put the book away."

Dani shut the book and set it down. Her icy stare remained riveted to the front of the room as the teacher continued. She ignored the students around her who snickered. She ignored their whispered conversations. However, the teacher didn't.

"Miss Trent!" He turned to glare in the direction the voices had been. Unfortunately, the real culprits had been sitting in front of her. "I do not care how interesting the book was. Complaining to your classmates will not help matters. Now be silent and pay attention."

"I wasn't talking!" Dani sat up and tried to defend herself.

"I am not deaf or stupid, Miss Trent. Do not lie to me. If you continue to be a disturbance and disrespectful, then I will send you to the principal's office." The teacher's eyebrow rose to dare her to say another word. Dani did not retaliate. When the teacher commenced with his explanations, Dani sent a glare at all who had turned to look at her once more. Smug smiles faded at her death-stare.

No one whispered any more.

Dani breathed a sigh of relief when the bell for the class to be over rang. She slowly packed up, letting the class empty. She thought about making peace with the teacher. But remembering that she had been wrongly accused and then threatened with undeserved discipline, Dani stubbornly decided against it.

As she made her way to the door that was at the front of the classroom, she did not make eye contact with her teacher. "Miss Trent, a word if you please." Dani froze and squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten. She turned wordlessly and waited. Her teacher, Mr. Murton, stared at her. "I hope I will not have to fight with you every day." Dani didn't answer. "The school year is what you make of it. It can be pleasant or it can be dissatisfying. Whatever you choose, be prepared to reap the consequences." He nodded as way of dismissal.

"So you're going to automatically assume that I'll choose the later, therefore, earning consequences for my actions." Dani said angrily. Mr. Murton looked up at her with an almost bored expression on his face. "You don't think I can behave and gain benefits? You think I'm a lost cause?"

"I never said that, Miss Trent." He stated in a placating manner.

"You didn't have to." Dani retorted.

Mr. Murton shook his head. "Don't read too much into things. Control yourself."

"Just like you can control your class?" Dani shot back.

The teacher's ambivalent expression fell into a scowl. "Watch your next words, Miss Trent. Or you will be reaping consequences very soon."

Dani returned the scowl. "Sorry to take up your time. I need to get to my next class." She spun on her feet and stormed out of the classroom.

Everywhere she walked, eyes of students followed. Now that Dani had the chance to looks around herself, she saw that teachers who were loitering in the hallway were giving her the exact same judgmental stares. They all thought the worst of her. They all expected her to fail.

Dani walked past the classroom she was meant to go to. She kept walking even when the bell rang. She ducked down halls to avoid teachers and whoever may be on hall duty.

Walking by a hall that junctures with the one she was passing through, Dani spied windows looking into a large room filled with shelves of books. Dani stopped and backtracked. She stared at the shelves with longing. Looking around, she didn't see anyone coming. Hesitantly, Dani walked up to the windows and followed them until she reached double doors with a sign on them both designating the room beyond them as the library.

Dani opened one door and quickly entered the library. She glanced over at the desk where the librarian should be sitting, but it appeared that no one was around. Dani walked further into the room and began wandering through the shelves. She stopped every once in a while to make sure no one had followed her or was watching her. The knowledge that there were windows that looked into the library from the hallway disconcerted her.

Her meandering the labyrinth of books, brought her to a halt. Dani found herself in a section of shelves where the books looked like they had not been used in ages. She ran her fingers over the old books' spines and smiled. The smell of old books always reminded her of her dad. He had liked vintage books.

"_Dani."_ She whirled around. Her heart pounding in her throat. Dani expected to see a teacher or the school principal standing behind her, but there was no one. _"Dani."_

She looked around in confusion. "Is that the owl's voice I've been hallucinating?" she muttered to herself.

"_You're trying to get away."_ The voice stated, an amused lilt to the masculine tone. _"Look behind you, lonely girl."_ Dani turned to find a door with a sign that read 'Utility Closet'.

Rolling her eyes, Dani shook her head. "I'm stressed and hungry. I'm listening to an owl that isn't even here. What am I saying? The owl wasn't even really talking." She ran a hand through her hair. "It's the smell of the books and stress from the day. That's what's getting to me." Dani looked up at the door and frowned. "Stupid. I'm just stupid." She was about to continue her aimless wandering through the library, when a thump from the other side of the door made her jump in fright.

"What was that?" Dani mumbled as she narrowed her eyelids and tried to peer through the crack between the door and the doorframe. Lifting a hand, she cautiously knocked on the wood. Ear pressed against the wood, she waited. A responding thump made her jump back again.

"Okay. That's weird." Dani knocked again and said in a loud whisper, "Is someone in there?" She waited again and heard another thump from the other side of the door. "well it's not a person." The girl decided aloud. "Maybe a squirrel is trapped in there. Or a bird." Dani shuddered. "Or a rat."

Dani placed her hand on the door handle and began jiggling it up and down. The lock was loose and obviously old. She had seen handle's like this before. With enough force, she could break the lock and get into the storage closet.

A click met her efforts and with a satisfied smile, Dani felt the door swing open beneath her hands. She only let the door open a crack. Unsure of what was on the other side, thumping in response to her knocking, Dani cautiously opened the door wide enough so her head could poke in.

Mismatched eyes staring into the dark, Dani called, "Hello?" Reaching one hand in, she felt along the wall for a light switch. Nothing. With a sigh, she opened the door wide so the light from the library could reach into the darkness.

Dani took a tenetive step into the large closet and looked around. A single light swung from the ceiling, a pull cord dangling within reach. Dani lifted her hand and tugged on the cord. The light bulb clicked to life and cast a struggled to bathe the room in light.

Another thump caused Dani to look up at a dirt encrusted window. The window swung up on its hinges before falling down again to bang against the frame. With a chuckle, Dani climbed on top of some wooden boxes and other odds and ends to shut and latch the window shut. Rubbing her dirty hands on her pants, Dani turned to look around the forgotten supply closet.

The teen looked at the floor and the walls covered in dust and cobwebs. _"Your new hideaway, lonely girl."_ The voice inside her head stated.

"Well, if I'm going crazy, at least I can do it in here and away from those idiots." Dani lifted her hands up in a helpless gesture before letting them slap against her legs. Plans were already circulating through her mind. She would need to keep this place a secret. The door was still locked – it just wouldn't work all that great. Dani could clean the place up. Maybe put a latch or some kind of lock on the inside so she could make sure no one stumbled across her while she hid in here.

Dani exited the closet as the bell rang. The school day was over and even though Jessica had ruined part of it, the weird voice in Dani's head had made it somewhat better. With that thought in mind, she hurried out of the library, making sure she was not seen by the librarians.

Dani weaved her way through the crowds of people so she could get to the hallway where her locker was located. She didn't notice the stares as much now. She had a place she could go to now where their eyes and words could not reach her. Dani smiled to herself.

She collected her bag and books from her locker. Dani sped through the halls so she could get outside where Veronica would be waiting to pick up the group. Once outside, Dani scanned the groups of kids and teens for Eddie.

"Dani!" The teen turned towards the sound of her name and smiled at her youngest cousin as he raced up to her.

"Hey, Eddie. How was your first day of school?" She asked as she slung her arm over his shoulder.

"Great! I saw all my friends. And I even have the teacher I wanted!" Looking up at her, the boy asked, "How about you? Did you have fun?"

Dani's smile faded a little and she tried to ignore the stares directed her way as she walked with Eddie. "It was - tolerable." She smiled encouragingly at Eddie, knowing he didn't buy her nonchalant attitude. "So tell me about this teacher." Dani let Eddie ramble as they stood waiting for Veronica. Dani let his excitement carry her away from her bad day. She wanted to think of anything else. Anything that could take her away from here.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Looking for something I've never seen_

_Alone and I'm in between_

_The place that I'm from and_

_The place that I'm in._

_~ Trust Me by The Fray~_

~*/*\*~

Dani twirled her pencil between her fingers as she stared down at the paper on her desk. The essay question on her test was a bit harder than she anticipated. With a quiet sigh, she put pencil to paper and continued her train of thought. If it wasn't right, then it wasn't right.

Just as she finished the last sentence to her test essay, the teacher called for the pencils to be set down. Sighs of relief and frustration permeated the air. Dani smiled triumphantly to herself. She knew she did well on this test. After all, she loved her English class.

Test were handed in and books gathered together. Friends stopped to talk amongst themselves about the test, other classes, or activities after school. Dani, on the other hand, squeezed her way around her fellow students that stood in the center of the aisle and darted out the classroom door.

Lunch hour caused the hallways to be overcrowded as students returned to their lockers or loitered in the hall. Dani wanted to get her lunch as soon as possible so she could escape to the one place where judgmental idiots couldn't watch her every move.

When she reached her locker, Dani groaned aloud. She had the bottom locker and unfortunately, the locker above her belonged to Jessica's current jock boyfriend Drew Mason. He did everything - and then some - that Jessica asked him to do. So if Jessica wanted Dani to be late for a class, she would just bat her eyelashes at the dunderhead and he would hang out in front of his and Dani's locker until five minutes before class.

Dani shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She knew that he wouldn't stay too long. Jessica was probably waiting for him to come walk her to the cafeteria.

He finally closed his locker door and turned. His blue eyes landed on Dani and a grin broke out over his face. "Oh! If it isn't Jessica's criminal - I mean cousin."

Dani rolled her eyes and shouldered her way past him. "Nice to see you too Moron - I mean Mason."

Drew's smile never wavered on his Ken-doll face, instead he leaned a shoulder against the locker beside her. Dani hated when his eyes followed her like that. She looked up at him with an expression that read, 'can I help you'. "Jessica was wondering if you were going to join us in the cafeteria today."

"Was she now." Dani's voice dripped with sarcasm as she turned the dial of her locker with deft flicks of her wrist.

"Yeah. She said something about needing to talk to you about the plans for after school." Drew continued as he watched her.

Retrieving her paper sack lunch, Dani stuffed a couple of her school books into the locker before pulling out others. "I don't see why. I already know what the plan is. Get on the bus or walk back to the house. Jessica is in charge while Veronica is out. The boys will be at school. Peter because he's meeting with his special aids teacher and Eddie because he's practicing soccer." Raising her head to meet Drew's stare head-on she quirked an eyebrow, wordlessly asking if she's forgetting anything.

Drew lifted a shoulder lazily. "She wants to have a few friends over."

Rolling her eyes, Dani shut her locker door. "In other words, she wants me to make myself scarce while she hangs out."

"No - I'm sure that's not what she meant." Drew insisted as he stepped back to allow Dani some room to stand up. However, he invaded her space once she was up. "Besides, if that _is_ what she wants you to do, maybe you and I could have some fun together somewhere."

"What?" Dani felt her back hit the locker behind her as she attempted to back away from him.

"Hey, Jessica can be a bitch sometimes." Drew stated an expression of sympathy on his face. "Figured you needed a friend. How 'bout it?"

Eyes narrowing, Dani asked, "So, backing a girl against a locker is how you ask her to be your 'friend'?"

A laugh passed his lips before he lifted a hand to tug the strands of hair that hung over her right eye. "Well - I guess you caught me."

"Naturally." Dani mumbled as she swatted his hand away.

"You're not as bad as Jessica makes you out to be." Drew leaned back a bit. "And you're not bad looking either." A smug smile stretched across his face. "You're rep might benefit from dating me."

"First of all - what the hell?" Dani scowled at him. "Have you even dumped my cousin? Second of all - ew. You're not my type. Third of all - nothing I do will help my rep. Not while Jessica is around."

Drew had begun frowning at the beginning of her speech. Rolling his head so his neck popped, he shrugged again before turning on his charming smile again. "Didn't think it would be easy to convince you. After all, I'm sure you've had more experienced guys-"

Again, Dani interrupted him with one spoken word. "What?"

"You know. Bad girls have needs too, I'm sure." Drew was still smiling.

She lifted a hand to brush her bangs back behind her ear. Dani turned her head to the side before glancing out of the corner of her eye at Drew. Her blue eye fixed him with a deadly serious glare. She watched his smile waver only a little. Turning her head back so she could face him, Dani's glare hit him square-on.

With a small amount of pride, she watched the smug smile disappear completely. When she spoke again, her voice was even and low - hinting at suppressed rage. "Go back to Jessica. Tell her her little mind games are bull. If that _is_ what this was all about. If not, then you can go jump off a bridge. Go play with Jessica's pretty cheerleader friends who wouldn't mind satisfying your - 'needs'." Taking one step closer she jabbed a single finger into his chest. "And if you _ever_ talk to me like that again - let alone _look_ at me - I'm gonna show you what I do to douche bags like you. I'm sure Jessica has hinted at something." Narrowing her eyes she asked, "Understood?"

Drew nodded before backing up a step to get away from her finger that was still resting on his chest. Dani let her hand drop and she jerked her head to the left - the direction of the cafeteria. "Get out of my sight." she hissed.

The jock stumbled back another step before turning and walking quickly down the blessedly empty hallway.

Dani waited until he was gone and out of sight. Tears pricked her eyes and she slumped against the lockers, sliding down until she was sitting with her knees up against her chest. Her belongs slipped from her hands as she hugged her knees to herself and shuddered.

"I wanna go home." She mumbled to herself. Taking a quivering breath, she gathered her things once more and headed in the opposite direction Drew had taken. She was going to her place in the library. Dani knew that at least she would be safe there.

Sure enough, the library was relatively empty at this hour. It was simple enough to weave through the bookshelves and over to the forgotten utility closet. With a little jiggling of the door handle, the door swung open again.  
>Dani slipped into the room and shut the door. Groping around in the dark, she found the pull string of the single light bulb. She tugged on it in order to cast the shadows away. Looking around at her handiwork, Dani smiled.<p>

She had snuck into the utility closet every day since she found it five weeks ago. Every lunch hour, free hour, or whenever she was forced to stay after school - Dani had been in this closet cleaning and moving things.

Dani snuck forgotten blankets and pillows that Veronica didn't use anymore into the closet last week. Now there was a nest of them in a corner beneath the scrubbed clean window. Dani could sit there and read or do homework. Peace and quiet. On a shelf next to her reading corner, Dani had stocked a few non-perishable snacks that she had grabbed from the pantry.

There wasn't much to her hideaway - but it was hers. That was all that mattered. Dani sunk down into her corner and kicked off her sneakers. The tears she had denied herself escaped in two blinks but with an irritated growl, she rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. "He's a jerk and not worth the tears." Dani chastised herself.

Reaching for her lunch bag, she pulled out her sandwich and water bottle. Dani opened her science textbook in order to study for her quiz that was coming up after lunch.

~*/*\*~

Dani looked at the bus that was waiting for people to board. She knew Jessica would be on that bus. Jessica and her douche boyfriend. And Jessica's cronies. Shouldering her heavy shoulder bag, Dani turned to begin the walk back to her relatives' house.

She heard the bus roar to life as it began pulling away from the curb. Dani didn't turn to look over her shoulder. She knew what was coming next. Someone would most likely roll down their window and throw something out at her as the bus passed her.

_Splat!_

Laughter travelled over the wind back to the girl who stood wiping something wet and gooey out of her hair. "Gross." She growled, shaking the goop from her hand to the ground below her. Dani didn't pause. If a teacher caught her throwing the stuff from her hair on the ground, she would get in trouble for 'littering'.

Her steps followed the well traveled sidewalk. It would take her thirty minutes to get to the park and five to eight minutes to get from the park to the house. Dani wondered if she should just camp out in the park. With a sigh she shook her head. Jessica would want Dani back at the house to yell at before Dani disappeared.

Thoughts of home forced their way to her mind. These unaccompanied walks often resulted in Dani recalling happier times. Times spent with her mom and dad. Times spent with friends. She missed her friends. They'd tried to stay in touch - but it was difficult when Dani didn't have a cell phone or a computer with which to contact her friends. Veronica nearly had a conniption fit when she found Dani on the phone with an old school friend. Dani was forbidden to call her 'druggie' friends from her old school.

"Can't talk about Mom and Dad. Can't contact my friends." Dani grumbled as she kicked a stone. "Why do I even bother sticking around?"

"_Because __of __Eddie.__"_ That voice that accompanied her rants reminded her. Dani sighed wearily and rolled her eyes. Why that voice had to be logical was beyond her.

Her mind wandered away from her desire to take a GED test, get a job, and move out. She couldn't. Not without Eddie. She couldn't even call someone about Eddie's situation. Not without revealing to him - certain issues. Dani sighed in anger. "Life would have been easier if Veronica had just agreed to letting Mom take Eddie."

Dani looked up at the sound of happy kids shouting and laughing. She was walking through the park now which meant she was almost back home. Her steps slowed as she watched kids that were fresh out of school running and playing. Parents sat at park benches watching their children. Older siblings sat working on homework, occasionally lifting a head to check on the younger kids.

Dani remembered going to playgrounds when she was younger. Picnicking with her parents. A sigh passed her lips again. Maybe the upcoming weekend would have good enough weather where she could bring Eddie to the park. The kid needed to get out of that house more often.

As always, her attention was drawn to that bridge. Dani longed to go over it and see what was around those bushes. Something was there. She was sure of it. For some reason, she just never had the time to actually go over there to find out what.

Dani didn't stop. It was as if her mind was telling her that she wasn't ready to cross the bridge. That whatever she thought was over there wasn't there quite yet. It was an odd sensation. Yet she forgot about the bridge just as quickly as her attention was drawn to it.

The path back to her relatives' house led her past the bookshop. The light in the store was rarely on. The sign always flipped to read CLOSED. Dani paused at the large window and cupped her hands over her eyes so she could peer into the dim room. Shelves were stacked with old, dusty looking books. An antique cash register - like the ones from old movies - sat on the counter across from the door. The shop looked clean. There didn't appear to be any dust or cobwebs anywhere.

"So why isn't it ever open?" Dani murmured as she stepped back again. Her hands rested on the window a little longer. Lifting her hands from the cool, smooth surface, Dani smiled at the hand print that was left behind. At least now the owner would know someone had wanted to come in. It was a habit of Dani's to leave a hand print on the window. Every day the hand print was gone - wiped clean off.

"Next time I'll paint my hand and stick it on the window!" Dani said loudly, in case anyone was inside and was listening. With a shrug of her shoulder she moved on. Jessica was waiting no doubt.

Dani's feet dragged as she drew closer and closer to the white house. Coming to a stop at the mailbox, Dani looked up at the Victorian style house. It was like a prison for her and Eddie. She almost smiled at the image of the attic looking like a tower from a fairy tale or something.

Her daydream was interrupted when Jessica wrenched the door open and marched out onto the porch. Her hands rested on her hips as she glared down at the dark-haired girl. "Where have you been?"

"Walking back from school." Dani answered as she walked up the path from the mailbox to the door. "Not everyone can catch the bus before it leaves."

"You were being slow on purpose." Jessica hissed.

"Yes, Jessica." Dani pushed her way past her cousin and walked into the house. "That's exactly what I did. I made sure I was wrongfully blamed for misbehaving in class so Mr. Murton could make me stay after class for _another_ lecture on how my behavior will affect my school year. A lecture I could quote word for word now."

Jessica followed Dani in and closed the door behind them. "Whatever. It's not like you didn't deserve it anyway."

Dani didn't try to argue. There was no point to trying. She merely walked to the kitchen and grabbed a peach from a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table. "Drew said you were having friends over. So I am assuming you either want me in the room upstairs or out of the house. Which will it be? And what time do I need to be back so you don't get in trouble with Veronica?"

Jessica's face reddened in embarrassment. "Don't be so smug! Just because Mom believed you that one time -"

"Hey, I was telling the _truth_." Dani countered. "You did kick me out of the house last time and you _did_ have people over - more specifically your boyfriend, who you were sucking face with."

"Shut up, Dani!" Jessica yelled. "It's not like you don't sneak out of the house. I bet you go off and have fun with all your criminal friends."

Dani remembered Drew's accusations from earlier. Rounding on Jessica, Dani growled, "Yeah. I've got _so_ many friends." In a quieter voice she said, "No thanks to you." She stormed out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Jessica yelled up the stairs after the retreating girl.

"To dump some stuff and get some stuff so I can get out of this house and away from your freakish friends!" Dani shouted over her shoulder. She walked into the annoyingly pink room and did as she said. The sounds of Jessica's stomping feet coming up the stairs alerted Dani that the heated conversation was not over yet.

"My friends are not freaks. _You__'__re_ the freak!" Jessica retorted.

Dani threw her hands up in the air. "And who made me the freak? You! From all your little lies. You and Veronica's freakin' lies!"

"No!" Jessica shouted back. "You're a freak because your parents are freaks and couldn't raise a normal child even if they wanted to!"

Jumping to her feet, Dani faced Jessica - nose to nose. "Shut up, Jessica! I told you not to say anything about my parents!"

"Your dad killed himself and you killed your mom." Jessica insisted harshly. "Not until they'd messed you up by getting you on drugs and smoking and-"

Dani's hands clenched into fists. "I swear if you don't shut up right now I'm gonna-"

"What? What'll you do?" Jessica demanded. "Hit me? Kill me? 'Cause if you hit me, Mom will throw you out. If you kill me, you'll just go to jail."

Dani's breath hissed through her clenched teeth as she tried to control her anger. Her eyes fixated on Jessica's, wishing she could intimidate her cousin with her glare just as easily as she had Drew. Jessica was too riled up though. Jessica was winning the fight. There was no way Dani could make her back down now.

Backing up, Dani turned and snatched her things from her mattress. "Believe whatever you want." Dani answered in her level, low voice. "I know the truth and that's all that matters." She shoved Jessica out of the door way and headed down the stairs. Pausing just inside the front door, Dani said, "I'll be gone until five o'clock. That gives you and your - friends - two hours to hang out. Veronica gets back at five thirty. If your friends aren't gone by then," Dani turned to level her cousin standing at the top of the stairs with an icy glare, "if they're not gone then I won't have a qualm making sure Veronica finds out again." A smirk quirked Dani's lips. "Oh, and you might want to keep Drew on a tighter leash. Seems he wants to go to the bad girls now for some attention."

The door slammed shut as Dani stormed away. "I hate her. I _hate_. _Her_!" Dani repeated over and over as she walked back the way she had come not all that long ago.

She walked through the woodsy area across the street and cut through the nice neighborhood with the big, fancy houses. Dani didn't slow down or pause to look into the quaint shops that lined the street. She got to the street corner just across from the park and stopped to glare at the hand prints she'd left on the bookshop window.

A car drove by, rousing her from her angered thoughts. Dani looked both ways, for any incoming traffic. Not seeing anything, she jogged across to the park's entrance. She ignored the playground and those that were playing there. Instead, she walked straight for the bridge.

Dani paused at the edge where the stone met the grass. She stared down at the river that flowed beneath it. Her gaze rose to look at the bushes just beyond. Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the stone bridge.

Once across she cautiously walked around the bushes. Ahead of her was another bridge and more of the river twisting and turning around the park. Dani followed the river's lazy path with a curious look. As far as she could tell, there were many more bridges connecting sections of land to each other. Stone pillars with pointed ends stretched to the sky, words etched into them.

Looking back the way she had come, Dani took another steadying breath, her anger still simmering just below the surface. "I might as well get lost in this maze of bridges." she mumbled to herself. Her feet led her to the next bridge. And the next.

Dani kept walking until she couldn't hear the shouts and laughs of the children from the playground. Glancing back, she couldn't even see the playground anymore. Trees and bushes obscured her vision. "When did this park get so big?" she whispered.

The flash of white on the water caused her to turn her head. Two lone swans glided over the water, heading the same direction her feet were carrying her.

Eventually, Dani reached a section that branched off in two different directions. One dirt path led to a stone bridge that looked rough and not quite as new as the one before it. The other dirt path led away on what looked like a biking path.

Dani strained to see what was beyond the bridge. She could just make out a large oak tree and part of a stone bench could be seen from around the large bushes and shrubs that tried to obscure her vision. A stone marker stood beside the water's edge, more illegible words scratched into its surface.

"Continue on? Or stop here?" Dani questioned herself aloud.

"_Why __not __rest __a__ little?__"_ That voice suggested. With a sigh and shrug of her shoulders, Dani stepped onto the rough looking bridge.

Her gaze swept around the large area. To her left another bridge connected this place to another plot of earth and more trees obscured whatever lay beyond it. Turning she saw that on the opposite bank that she once stood on had a few rose bushes growing on the water's edge. The white roses were in full bloom, reaching for the sky.

Dani turned again and spied another stone pillar. "Why are there so many?" she looked from one pillar to the other. Her feet led her to the one closest to her - the one closest to the bridge. Her hands reached out to touch the circle that was etched in the stone. Fingers trailed slowly over the letters that stood out in the center of that circle. "JGK." she mumbled. "Wonder what that stands for."

Looking back over her shoulder at the other pillar, Dani wondered whether the other pillar had anything on it as well. She walked up to it and looked at the circle. Another JGK was etched there. Stepping back, she shrugged the sudden shiver away. She felt like she was being watched.

Dani made her way over to the stone bench that was standing beneath the large tree. She had the sudden urge to climb up the tree. Glad that she had the foresight to bring her shoulder bag, Dani stepped up onto the bench and grabbed onto the branch that was within reach.

Pulling herself up, she climbed up a few branches more until she was hidden behind the fall colored leaves. Dani brushed her hair out of her eyes and settled back against the trunk with a contented sigh. Her anger had diminished, but she could still feel the tears prickling at the back of her eyes. She refused to cry. She would not cry.

The first book Dani pulled out was her copy of _Macbeth_. Flipping open her book, the first page made her pause in shock. All over the first page and copyright page were words written in Jessica's hand. Words like 'freak' and 'criminal'. 'Witch' and 'hag' were written alongside some lame stick figures with pointed hats and scraggly hair sticking out from the sides.

Stick figures with the names Veronica, Jessica, Jason, Peter, and - Eddie written above them were drawn sprawled at the bottom of the page. X's served as eyes and some had tongues sticking out of the sides of their mouths. In all of them a dagger had been drawn. A smiling stick figure stood above them. Next to it was written, _Mac-Danica_.

With a scream of anger and frustration, Dani threw her book. Screwing her eyes shut, she felt the hot tears squeeze out from her lids. Her fisted hands pounded on the trunk. "I hate her!" Dani could only guess as to what Jessica had planned for the play script.

Dani could just imagine what would have happened if Veronica had seen it. Or what a teacher would have done if Jessica had placed in _their_ hands.

A sob escaped her lips. "I hate them. _All_ of them." The heels of her hands dug into her eyes as she rubbed the tears away. "I want to go home. I don't belong here." Dani sagged against the tree. "I want my life back." she cried as everything that had happened in the past couple of weeks washed over her. All the tears she had held back flooded out of her system. "I want my life back." Dani repeated miserably.

"Crying about it won't fix anything." An almost familiar voice spoke up from below her.

Dani's head jerked up from her hands. Blinking in surprise she held her breath. That voice - it had _not_ been inside her head and thoughts.

"Drawing silly doodles such as these won't fix your problem with these people either. Rather childish, really." The voice drawled in his accent.

Leaning forward so she could peer around the leaves she was hiding behind, Dani looked down at the blonde head below her. The man was flipping through her copy of _Macbeth_.

Anger still predominant among her emotions, Dani stated, "That's _mine_."

The head tilted back and Dani stared in mild - but hidden from the stranger - shock. His eyes were different colors. His left eye was brown while his right eye was blue.

Dani didn't have much of a chance to stare at his eyes for long. An amused smile had spread across his face as he lifted the book up and waved it back and forth. "This dirty, little thing? You threw it away. So now it belongs to me. One man's trash as they say."

"I did _not_ throw it away." She insisted as she began scooting across the branch so she would be in the right spot to drop down onto the open space on the bench. "If I'd thrown it away, I would have thrown it in a garbage can." Dani lay on her stomach before sliding down. Her hands held her suspended in the air for a few moments before she let go of her hold and dropped the rest of the distance to the stone bench.

Dani scowled at the man as he leaned to the right in order to avoid touching her. She wasted no time in stepping down from the bench. Walking around him so she was standing in front of him, Dani stuck her hand out for her book. "Now, please return it."

"Good to see you've been taught some manners." The man smirked up at her as he leaned backwards so he could rest against the tree trunk. "The fact still remains, young lady, that you did throw the book and made no attempt to retrieve it."

"I don't care what it looked like to you. It's my book. It belongs to me. I want it back." Dani insisted.

"I, my, me, I." The man tsked. "Such a self-centered girl." His gaze searched her from head to toe before returning to her eyes. "A puffy-eyed, red-nosed, self-centered girl." Dani retracted her hand to rub at the wet traces that were on her cheek. The man wasn't finished mocking her appearance. "And have you never heard of a barber's shop? Did you take a pair of scissors to your own head? Those clothes - they look like boys' extra large!"

Dani looked down at her outfit. She wore jeans that fit her comfortably on her thighs but bagged and pooled around her black sneakers. She wore a black and white striped, long-sleeve shirt that had a white star on the chest. Her shirt was one size larger than she needed - a medium when she needed a small. The collar was wide and if it were any wider, it would slip down on her shoulders.

Returning her attention to the offender, she rolled her eyes. "For your information, it's all I have and it's just a size too big. I don't wear boys' clothes." Motioning to the book again she said, "Just like that book is one of the few possessions that belong to me. So give it back."

"No more 'please'?" His voice sounded hurt but his expression conveyed amusement. "Poor and self-centered. Lack of courtesy to strangers - elder strangers at that." Flipping the book open again the man smirked at the pictures. "Not to mention a violent streak. Self-depreciating too."

Dani rolled her eyes. "I'm not polite to strangers who steal my stuff and then criticize how I look." She glanced down at the book that was cradled in his leather-clad hands. It wasn't _that_ cold out. She wondered if she could just make a grab for it and run. "And I didn't write that stuff in there." Dani corrected him. "My cousin did."

"And how old is this cousin that you would throw such a tantrum over what they did?" The man inquired with a roll of his eyes - answering her own if not rivaling it. "Five? Six?"

"Try sixteen." Dani grumbled. "She acts enough like a five-year-old."

The man chuckled. "I don't work very closely with teenagers - so I wouldn't know if that comparison is accurate."

"_You_ work with kids?" Dani demanded skeptically.

"Of course, Danica." He shut the book and smirked at her again.

Stepping back warily, she asked, "How'd you know my name?"

Waving the book back and forth the man answered, "Well I'm assuming you're the one with the smile standing over the other stick figures. Not to mention there's a sticker in the back of the book that says 'return to Danica Trent'." Glancing at the cover his nose wrinkled. "Although I believe the address listed has changed."

"Yeah well, people move." She replied irritably. "Look, just give it back."

"And why is it so important to you?" He questioned. "Wouldn't you get into a lot of trouble if someone found this defaced book? Not everyone would believe you so willingly, I'm sure."

"That's what white-out is for." Dani retorted reaching forward again.

He stood and stepped out of her arm's reach. "Not even going to ask or demand for it now? That's very rude of you."

"You sure you work with kids?" Dani growled as she folded her arms in front of her chest. Trying to hide the fact that his height was a bit disconcerting. It was easier to try to be intimidating when the person you were trying to intimidate was sitting down. "What do you want with my book? Or with me?"

The man shrugged a shoulder. "Believe it or not. I do work with children. Now, back to the original question -"

Danica snorted. "Which one is the original? 'This dirty, little thing?'"

A toothy grin answered her cheeky answer. "No." he drawled slowly. "Why were you throwing a tantrum over such a trivial and childish prank?"

"It's _my_ book." she hissed in answer.

"There you go with being self-centered again." The man sighed heavily.

Danica lifted her hands in the air before slapping them down on her legs. Her frustration had hit a new high. "It's one of the few items that survived the fire, okay?"

"Fire?" he pressed in an almost bored tone.

"Yeah. A fire destroyed my old home and my life. Now I'm staying with my suckish relatives who hate me. My cousin likes to get me in trouble so no doubt she drew that stuff in there in order to show my aunt later. Now I either have to throw it away or white it all out. I'd rather keep it so can I please have one of the few ties to that life back? _Please_?" Danica felt the tears returning and instead of glaring up at the blank expression of the man standing opposite her, she turned her head away so she could stare bleary-eyed at the stone pillar that was a few feet away from them.

"Wishing for your old life - won't fix anything." His quiet voice drew her attention back to him.

Dani looked at him, sniffed, but then looked away again. "I _know_ that." Wiping at her wet nose with her sleeve she said, "But can't I - can't I just say empty words when it gets so hard? Too hard to deal with?"

The man stepped back over to the bench and bent over to lift a briefcase that Dani hadn't noticed earlier. When he straightened he answered, "Words - even if empty or spoken without meaning - have power. Once spoken," he turned to level his mismatched gaze on her and said, "they cannot be retracted."

Dani sniffed again but held his gaze. She watched as he gave her a small smile before reaching into his suit-jacket pocket. He produced a white handkerchief and held it out to her. "Try wiping your nose on that instead of your clothes." Dani reluctantly accepted his kind gesture and blew her nose into the fabric. Her eyes narrowed when he laughed. "Maybe your likening teenagers to young children wasn't so far-fetched after all. I thought only toddler's rubbed their runny noses on their clothes."

"Shut up." Dani grumbled, blushing at being called a toddler. She looked from the cloth in her hands to the immaculately dressed man before her. She lifted the handkerchief in one hand. "Thanks."

"Keep it." He scowled at the fabric. "It's been - contaminated now."

Dani laughed and stuffed the cloth into her pants pocket. "What's with the way you talk? You sound like an old movie that my - that my mom would watch." She swallowed around the lump that had suddenly formed and cleared her throat. "And I'm not diseased."

The man smiled again. "It made you laugh, didn't it?" He bowed his head in smug acknowledgement at her shocked expression. "Good day, Danica Trent." Turning to walk toward the rough bridge she had crossed earlier, he paused right before that threshold as Dani had earlier that afternoon. "By the way," he said, "whenever you feel like it is too much again - try serving or helping someone else. Someone who has it as rough or worse than yourself." The way he tilted his head, Dani could just see a sadness in the lines of his face. His next words conveyed an understanding that struck a chord in her heart. "I have found that this method truly helps me."

Dani watched in open-mouthed awe as he quickly stepped across the bridge and disappeared around the bushes. Blinking a few times, her head shook as if she was trying to clear it. Lips pursing, she frowned. Head snapping up, Dani shouted, "Hey!" Running for the bridge she called, "You still have my -!" Skidding to a stop on the other side, Dani looked around for the blonde-haired man. He was no where to be seen. "Book." she sighed wearily.

Reaching for her pocket, Dani patted the bulge of the handkerchief. With the reassurance that the meeting _had_ happened, Dani stood staring down at her shoes in confusion.

A bell chiming caused her head to lift and turn to look at the clock tower that was visible between the trees. It was five o'clock. With a groan, Dani raced back the way she had come - back toward the park she knew. She hoped she didn't get lost or turned around in the maze of bridges and islands. She hoped she'd come across that infuriating man that had walked off with her book.

Dani stopped when she crossed the last bridge. Her gaze swept over the almost empty playground, her chest heaving. No sign of the man with blonde hair and mismatched eyes. Setting off on a run again, a frown creased her features again. She couldn't remember much else about what he looked like.

He'd been wearing a business suit - he was older than her but not the same age as her aunt or uncle. What was the style his hair had been cut? What color had his suit been? He'd been wearing leather gloves.

Dani wondered when he'd walked past the tree and from what direction. Had he seen the book fall from the tree or had he come by well after the book had hit the ground? Had he heard her crying and had spied the book when he came to investigate? How much had he actually heard her say? Had he seen her climb the tree from a far?

Her thoughts were put on hold when her relatives' house came into view. Lights were on due to the dimming light outside. The garage was closed - so Veronica wasn't home yet.

Dani's feet pounded on the porch as she raced up the steps. Stopping just outside the front door, she bent over and took several gasping breaths. Her chest and legs burned from the excursion but Dani felt so much lighter now that she'd let off some steam. However, she was sorely disappointed that she no longer had her copy of _Macbeth_.

Once she had caught her breath, Dani opened the front door. "I'm back!"

Jessica stepped out of the living room with an exaggerated look of disappointment. "You said you'd be back at 5 o'clock."

Glancing at the clock on the fireplace mantel, Dani shrugged. "So I'm ten minutes late. What does it matter to you?"

"I could have kept my friends over longer!" Jessica retorted.

"Well as long as that's the only thing that bothers you about my tardiness." Dani headed for the stairs. "Oh, and by the way, Jess -"

"Don't call me that!" Jessica shouted as she flicked her bleached-blonde hair over her shoulder.

Dani continued, ignoring the interruption. "If you _ever_ draw in any of my books again, don't think I'll help you out when Veronica gets mad at you." Turning her head to look over her shoulder, Dani glared at her pale faced cousin. Without another word, Dani continued up the stairs and made her way to the room she shared with her cousin.

Settling down on her mattress, Dani reached for a notebook and pen. She thought about doing homework, but she really didn't want to. Twirling the pen between her fingers, she silently contemplated her meeting. Setting pen to paper, she wrote, _Man __in __the __Park_. Underlining the words she began making a list.

"Creep. Jerk." She said the words aloud as she wrote them. "Stole my book. Works with kids? Question mark times five. Kind." Dani paused and pursed her lips. "Listens." Looking up to the window, she smiled briefly at spying her owl friend. "I never learned his name."

~*/*\*~

"Dani! Dani, I scored a goal in practice today!" Dani looked up just as Eddie jumped. She laughed as he landed on the open space on her mattress and moved so he had room.

"Did you now? That's awesome, Eddie." She ruffled his brown hair, noting that it was getting a bit long.

"I also jumped really far on the swing today." He puffed his chest out.

"Nearly touch the sky?" Dani teased him before setting aside the homework she had been concentrating on.

He giggled and shook his head. Eddie's attention focused on the sheets of notebook paper and he frowned. "Why are you doing homework? You're usually reading that play thing when I get back. Didn't you finish your homework before leaving school like always?"

"I'm working ahead." Dani hoped he didn't ask any more questions about her book.

Jessica burst into the room, talking loudly on the phone. "I know! Such a pain. You guys could have stayed ten extra minutes before the freak -" she stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Eddie. "Eddie! Get out of my room you little twerp!"

"Hey!" Dani barked at the girl. "I invited him in here."

"Boys don't come into a girls room!" Jessica retorted. "That's the rule in _this_ house."

"So what was Drew doing in here _last __week_?" Dani sneered.

Jessica spluttered for a few seconds before pointing to the door. "Eddie! Out! Or else I'll send the goblins and trolls after you tonight!"

Eddie's eyes widened and a strangled yelp left his lips before he darted out of the room. Dani jumped up from her mattress, hands clenched. "Jessica! That wasn't nice! He's your brother for crying out loud!"

Jessica lifted a finger in the air and held the phone to her ear. "Hold on a sec, Darla." Walking over to the door, Jessica shouted down the hall, "Moooom! Dani won't be quiet while I'm on the phone!"

"Dani, either be quiet or leave the room!" Veronica shouted up the stairs.

"I was doing homework in here first!" Dani retorted, anger building.

"It was _my_ room before _you_ got here." Jessica bickered.

"I, my, me, I." Dani grumbled bitterly.

"What?" Jessica asked.

"You're a self-centered little witch." Dani stated, snatching her homework from the floor. "Don't bother yelling at me. I'm leaving."

"Wait until I tell Mom -"

Dani smirked at Jessica. "Tell her what? Tell her you told Eddie you'll send monsters after him? She won't be happy about that. Like she wasn't happy about it the _last_ time you told him that and he got up in the middle of the night crying." The dark-haired girl's smirk widened a fraction before she exited the room and shut the door.

Walking down the hallway, Dani poked her head into Eddie and Peter's bedroom. Rapping her knuckles on the door that was propped open, she said, "Knock, knock."

Eddie sat huddled on his bed holding a baseball bat. He looked up at Dani through a football helmet that was too big for his head. "You'll kick goblin and troll butt if Jessica sends them after me, won't you Dani?" he asked in a trembling voice.

Dani walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. "You know I will, Eddie. And don't worry, I told Jessica that in no uncertain terms that she will never send them after you. I mean it." She reached for the helmet and pulled it off. Smiling at him she said, "Tell ya what, go get your book and I'll read you a few more chapters before dinner."

"Really?" Eddie perked up a bit. "What about your homework?"

"I was working ahead, remember?" Dani shuffled back until her back hit the wall and she had her legs stretched out before her. "Besides, it's a known fact that goblins and trolls don't like stories. Just as much as they don't like singing."

Eddie nodded before scooting off the bed and running for the bookshelf that held all of his books. Returning, he crawled over to where Dani was sitting and settled down beside her. Dani opened the book to where the bookmark was sticking out and sighed. "Now, where were we?"

As Dani read to her captivated audience, she thought absentmindedly, _There__'__s __no __place __I__'__d __rather __be. __If __I __can __be __here__ for __Eddie, __then __that__'__s __good __enough__ fo r__me. __Taking__ care __of __Eddie __- __that__'__s __what __Mom__ and __Dad__ would __want __me __to __do._

The familiar voice chuckled in her mind. _"__That__'__s __my__ lonely __girl.__"_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Can I tell you a story_

_As we dance while the sun starts to bleed_

_Song of songs love is calling_

_Daughter wake up from your sleep_

_~Treasure by Flyleaf~_

~*/*\*~

Dani sat on the stone bench, playing with a rubber band in her hands. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her eyes focused intently on stretching and twisting the object she held. Glancing up only for a moment at the clock tower that was just visible over the trees, she sighed loudly.

She would have to return to the house in a few more minutes. Standing and shooting the rubber band at a stone pillar that was a short distance away from her, Dani growled in frustration.

"He didn't come - _again_." The girl bent at the waist to retrieve her shoulder bag and made her way toward the bridge. She visited the park for five weeks after meeting the stranger who had taken her copy of _Macbeth_. Dani knew it would have been a long-shot that he would be sitting there waiting, or that he would stumble across her waiting for him.

Dani ignored her surroundings as she made her way back to her relatives' house. She didn't stop at the dark bookshop to press a hand print against the clean surface of the large window. Her pace never slowed as she walked the gravel road that wound its way through the neighborhood. She kicked at the pebbles with her black and white sneaker covered feet.

Lifting her head once she reached the blue-painted door of the old house, she reached out a hand to turn the knob. Stepping into the comfortable warmth, she called out, "I'm back!"

When the sounds that matched up with Jessica and her friends didn't greet her, but those that were related to her younger cousins - Dani realized that Veronica and the boys were home. Early.

_I'm dead._ She thought miserably as she shrugged out of her jean jacket.

Eddie came walking out of the living room, the sound of Peter's video games blaring loudly from within. "Where were you?" he asked.

"I always swing by the park when it's just me and Jessica." Dani answered. "I like the fresh air."

"You could have waited until I got back and then we _both_ could have gone." Eddie folded his arms over his chest and frowned. His navy blue T-shirt with a brown bear was wrinkled from rough housing - no doubt trying to get his brother to play with him and failing in the attempt.

"Didn't know you would be back so early." Dani offered in way of apology, her eyes darting toward the doorway that led to the kitchen. Veronica wasn't stalking toward her yet. "Why - are you guys back early?"

The boy shrugged. "Dunno. Mom picked me up from practice - and we weren't over yet!"

"Sorry to hear that." Dani wrapped an arm around his shoulder and made for the kitchen. She knew that Veronica was going to be mad. Might as well get the ordeal of a scolding or punishment over with now rather than wait until her aunt sought her out.

"When's your game? I was planning on coming to it." The pair walked into the kitchen, and, to Dani's surprise, discovered that it was empty. No Veronica sitting at the kitchen table with a glare reserved just for her 'delinquent' niece.

"Next Friday!" Eddie announced as he plopped into one of the chairs. "We're playing the school just down the street. My friend Jeremy goes there and he says their team isn't _nearly_ as good as ours. So we might win!"

"I bet you will." Dani set her backpack on the table and her jacket on the back of one of the chairs before heading to the fridge. She pulled out a carton of milk then went to one of the cupboards to retrieve two neon-orange plastic cups.

Veronica swept into the kitchen just as Dani set a filled cup to Eddie. A scowl marred her features when she saw the pair. "You didn't ask if you could have milk."

"I'm sorry. Were you planning on using it for dinner?" Dani asked politely. She knew that if she gave Veronica a reason to get even madder, then the consequences would be much worse. "I'll go down to the store and pick up another carton if you were."

Waving a hand in dismissal, Veronica brushed past Dani. "Get out of my way. Don't take those cups into the living room."

Stunned that she was not in trouble, Dani returned the milk to the fridge and sat down slowly. Eyeing her aunt as if she were an animal that would lash out at any given second, the teenage girl cautiously sipped her milk. Eddie glanced warily from one person to the other, sensing the tension between them.

Veronica banged around the kitchen, pulling pots and pans out in order to make dinner. She mumbled under her breath and ignored the pair as much as possible. Eventually she turned to look at them with a frown. Crossing her arms over her chest she demanded, "Well? Haven't you finished your milk yet? Hurry up and get out of the kitchen!"

Eddie tilted his head back as far as he could and thumped the empty cup down on the table. Wiping his arm over his milk mustache, he hopped up and set the cup in the sink. Dani watched as he darted back out of the kitchen without another word. She continued sipping at her milk.

Veronica huffed in irritation. "You too, Dani. Hurry up and get out. Don't you have homework?"

"I finished it." Dani answered truthfully. The pair stared at each other, trying to assess the thoughts of the other. Dani finally stood and settled her empty cup in the sink beside Eddie's. She walked out and headed for the stairs. Eddie was no doubt cowering in his room. Climbing the stairs two at a time, Dani went in search of her cousin.

~*/*\*~

Jason came home the same time he always came home and Veronica shouted for everyone to come to the kitchen table for dinner at exactly 6:00. Everyone shuffled into the kitchen silently. For whatever reason, the tension from before was continuing, and no one dared to say anything to Veronica - or Jessica for that matter.

Jessica cast angry glances at Dani then glanced worriedly at her mother. Dani tried to ignore her cousin and tried to enjoy her dinner as best as she could. She hoped that whatever was going through Jessica's mind wasn't going to interrupt dinner.

The blonde teenager turned to her dad and in a cautious voice asked, "Dad?"

"Hmm?" he responded.

"Would it be all right to - um - go to a friend's party next week?"

"Jessica!" Veronica's back stiffened and she frowned angrily at her daughter. "I already told you that you _couldn't_ go!"

"But, Mom!" Jessica whined in a pleading voice. "If I don't go to Jackie's party then I'll be the outcast of the century! Everyone who's anyone is going to be there!"

"And there will be other parties, Jessica." Veronica scowled as she stabbed at a piece of broccoli.

Jason looked between the two women with a look of pained discomfort. "Now, Veronica, maybe she could go to this party for a little while -"

"Jason Pruit!" Veronica nearly shrieked, "Do you even _know_ what _your_ daughter did this afternoon? Do you know _why_ she is not allowed to go to any parties? Or why she can't use her cell phone for a month? Or why she can't have friends over for _two_ months? Or why I am seriously thinking of demanding she break up with that boyfriend of hers?"

"Mom, please." Jessica pleaded, casting desperate eyes at her father for help.

"I'm sure you'll tell me." he mumbled, casting his gaze back to his plate of food.

Slamming her fork down on the table, Veronica did not heed the other members of the table wince. Eddie clutched at Dani's hand beneath the table. She squeezed his hand to comfort him.

Her aunt continued, pointing an accusatory finger at Jessica. "I come home to find your daughter had invited a friend over."

"What's the harm in having one friend over?" Jason shrugged, pushing his food around on his plate.

"Her boyfriend? While no one else is in the house? Really, Jason." Veronica's pitch rose with each sentence. "And can you guess what they were doing? Just _guess_!"

Jason glanced at his tomato-red-faced daughter. His eyebrows dipped in concern and he opened his mouth to speak.

"That's right!" Veronica confirmed before he could get a sound out. "I found them in her room. It's a good thing I came home early and found her before her _brothers_ did! And before it went too far."

"Nothing happened." Jessica mumbled, trying to look as small and insignificant as possible.

"Because someone walked in, right?" Veronica snapped. "And this is the _second_ time I've come home to find that boy in your room! Two times too many, Jessica!"

Jason sighed miserably. "Why is it your daughter is taking after you in so many ways?"

"What was that?" Veronica demanded shrilly.

Dani's eyes widened and she tried not to cut off the circulation to Eddie's hand. This conversation would not and should not be taking place. She had to move the conversation away from that topic - even if that meant getting herself in trouble.

"It's my fault they were left here alone," Dani blurted.

All eyes were on her in an instant. Eddie looked shocked and horrified that she had spoken. Jason and Peter looked confused. Jessica looked dumbfounded. Veronica looked like she was ready to kill anyone who spoke.

"What?" her aunt ground out between clenched teeth.

Swallowing around the lump that had risen in her throat, Dani repeated, "It's my fault Jessica and Drew were here alone. I - left the house when he got here."

Jumping on the chance to get off the hook, Jessica threw in, "Yeah! Dani's always leaving the house when it's just the two of us!" Smiling cruelly at the dark-haired girl, she said, "Dani comes back just before Mom and the boys get home so she won't get caught. She threatened me if I told. Said she'd tell Mom that I invited my friends over while no one was home." Glancing at both her parents in turn, Jessica quickly added, "Which I didn't! Mason being over here was - the only time I've done that."

Veronica growled, "Dani -"

"Now hold on, Veronica!" Jason intervened quickly. "Maybe Dani has a _reason_ for why she leaves after school." Turning to look at his niece he asked, "Right, Dani? Did you know Drew was at the house?"

"Y-yes." Dani admitted, releasing Eddie's hand so she could twist the fabric of her black shirt. Looking down at her hands, she trained her eyes on the pink, blue, yellow, green, and purple balloons that were printed on her shirt. "I knew he was at the house before I left. I left because - well - because Jessica wanted the room -"

"That's not true!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Let your cousin finish." Jason ordered.

Dani did not look up. "I didn't want to listen to her conversation and I needed to get some homework done." She tried to hide the smirk that wanted to emerge on her face. Eddie would know she was lying. He knew she did all her homework at school. She never had homework to bring home.

"The room isn't big enough for the two of us. With anyone else - it's just too small," Dani explained. "So whenever Jessica does have company, I go to the park."

"I thought you said you hadn't had anyone over at the house without our permission, Jessica." Jason quirked an eyebrow as he turned to look at his daughter.

"I - I don't! I haven't!" The blonde stuttered. "She's lying!"

Veronica rolled her eyes as she said, "Jason, are you really going to believe -"

"Yes," Jason stated bluntly. His usually laid-back attitude was replaced by a steely and unkind glint as he glared across the table at his wife. "If _your_ daughter is anything like _you_, Veronica, I'd think she'd say just about anything to cover her tracks."

"I thought those other times she _had_ permission," Dani interjected, drawing everyone's attention back on her. "I didn't know they weren't supposed to be here."

"How many young men have you had over at our house, Jessica?" Jason groaned, covering his face with his hand and resting his elbow on the table.

Dani and Jessica both hurried to say, "No, she had her friends over." "It was only Amy, LeAnn, and Becky!"

Peering at his daughter between his fingers, Jason spoke in an even voice, "Well, I suppose that admission proves that she was lying, Veronica."

Jessica went pale, realizing she had admitted to having friends over and lying about it to her parents. Leveling a glare at her cousin, Jessica said, "But Dani has been sneaking out! At least I've been staying home!"

"She has a point, Jason," Veronica agreed irritably.

Leaning back in his chair, he glared back at his wife. "Well, as far as I can see, Dani has just been trying to find some room in a house that has no room and has made no room for her."

"You promised that any dealings where Dani is concerned -"

Jason lifted his hands to show he relented. "I'm just saying, Veronica."

"Why not put her in the attic?" Jessica grumbled.

Dani perked up at the suggestion. She remembered climbing through the attic during one of her family's customary visits to her aunt's house. One of those days when she couldn't get Jessica to play with her and Peter was too young. Eddie hadn't been born yet.

The attic was actually the turret of the old Victorian style house. Stuffed with boxes of junk and old furniture. Christmas decorations littered the corners and the beams. Baby clothes and toys that belonged to Dani's mom and aunt were up there because Grandma and Grandpa had been placed in a nursing home back then and had no place to store things.

If the stuff up there could be moved out - or even to just one side of the attic - then Dani could have a space all to herself.

"Why not?" She asked.

Jason and Veronica, who had been discussing Jessica's punishment, looked at her with confusion or irritation. "Why not, what?" Veronica droned.

"Why not let me stay in the attic?"

Jason shook his head. "Jessica didn't mean it. Maybe we could figure something else out."

Dani smiled sympathetically. "I think the easiest and cheapest thing would to just put me in the attic."

"But what about all of our things we store up there?" Veronica inquired, appalled that Jason was even entertaining the idea.

"You could just push it all to one side," Dani suggested, "Heck, I'd do all the work for you!"

Veronica glared at her niece. "Dani, no swearing at the table."

"Sorry."

Jason sat back in his chair and thought it over. "Well - maybe we could move it out of the attic."

"Jason!" Veronica protested.

"Well think about it, Veronica!" Jason retorted, "We have that space above the garage that we could store things in. Not to mention the shed in the backyard. Half of that stuff in the attic we probably don't need any more. Besides, your parents said we could sell whatever we don't want or need. I bet having all that stuff is a fire hazard.

"Why not let Dani sort through the stuff, have a garage sale, and some of the proceeds go to new furniture and clothes or whatever else she needs." Jason shrugged. "Lord knows she needs some new clothes."

"And I could even use some of the furniture that's up there to save money," Dani offered. "Please? This way I'm not running off to the park when I need space or peace and quiet. Jessica and I won't be fighting as much 'cause we'd have our own room."

Jason chuckled. "She has a good point, Veronica."

Sighing loudly, the woman waved her hand in dismissal. "Fine! But she has to check with me about what goes in the sale pile. You two can move things. I don't want any part in this."

"Thank you!" Dani grinned.

"But," Veronica interjected, "consider that your punishment for sneaking out. Cleaning out the attic, dusting it, etc. You may not go to the park and no TV for a month!"

Jessica smirked at her cousin. "Ha, ha."

"Don't think you're off the hook, young lady," Jason warned. "Like your mother said. No cell phone, no friends, and definitely no boyfriend."

"But, Dad!"

Dani drowned out the rest of the arguing and whining. She ate the rest of her meal happily. She didn't care about the lack of television. She rarely watched it with her relatives anyway. Dani sighed in contentment. She was going to have her own room. Her own space!

~*/*\*~

Dani spread cherry jam over her toast, stuck the knife back into the jar, and took a large bite out of the slice of bread. She looked down at Eddie as he giggled. Certain that she had crumbs dusting her upper lip, she smirked at him and swallowed her meager breakfast. Dani ignored the crumbs and took another bite out of her toast.

Eddie reached for the jam and knife. Scooping out some of the gooey preserves, he dropped a glop of jam onto his toast. Dani tried not to laugh at his attempts to spread the mass across his bread.

Finally rubbing the crumbs free of her mouth, she asked, "Ready to help me brave the unknown?"

"Yup!" The boy declared, spraying crumbs out of his mouth.

"Eddie, eat with your mouth closed." Veronica scolded as she swept into the kitchen. The blue-eyed boy swallowed and picked up his cup of milk to wash down the remnants.

Dani watched her aunt in curiosity. Veronica's hair was straight and sleek, as if she had borrowed Jessica's hair straightener again. Makeup was applied almost a bit too heavily. Nails painted. Veronica wore tight fitting jeans and a sleeveless shirt that dipped far too low than a mother should wear - in Dani's opinion. Perfume sat heavily on the air as Veronica moved about the room. Dani wanted to gag.

"Going somewhere?" Dani inquired cautiously.

"Not that it's any of _your_ business," Veronica snapped, "yes. I'm going out with some friends that are visiting this weekend. Jason is out golfing. Peter is at a friend's house."

"Is Jessica in charge?" Eddie looked up at Dani with a look of worry.

"Isn't your sister always in charge when I'm gone?" his mother mumbled as she dug through her purse. "Do your chores. Behave. Listen to your sister. Frozen pizzas are in the freezer. I'll be back at seven." She waved before rushing out of the kitchen.

The listened to her four inch heels click-clack against the wooden floors. Dani rolled her eyes as she heard Veronica shout up the stairs at Jessica. "No friends, cell phone, or boyfriend! If I hear one word about people being at our house -"

"All _right_, Mom! Jeez!"

"Bye, everyone!" Veronica called before the front door slammed shut.

Dani and Eddie looked at each other and sighed in unison. Eddie giggled and Dani smiled at his amusement. "Some Saturday this is going to be, huh?" she asked.

"You bet!" Eddie agreed, talking with his mouth full again.

"Well! Once we finish breakfast, let the expedition begin," Dani announced as she took another bite of her toast.

~*/*\*~

Dani and Eddie stood at the door to the attic. That was all they did. Stand and stare at the white door. The teenager shifted from one foot to the other and tightened her grip on the bucket of cleaning supplies she held.

Eddie peered up at her then looked at the door. "We going up?"

Focusing her mismatched eyes on the boy, she took a deep breath and let it out. "Yeah." Dani reached for the brass doorknob and turned it slowly. The hinges squealed in protest as the door was pulled open.

A gust of hot air met them as they stared at the dirty steps that led up into the dark attic. Dani set down her supplies and stepped forward. The unsanded wood felt rough and harsh beneath her bare feet. She listed off the need for a welcome mat or small rug. Stretching out her hand, Dani located the light switch and flicked it up.

One, uncovered light bulb flickered on from its position on the wall halfway up the stairs. Dani pursed her lips in thought. Maybe a light fixture could be placed around the bulb. Maybe a _clean_ light bulb. The stairs looked worse in the light. Carpeting them would have been nice but most likely out of her budget. Possibly stair treads would be the best option.

Looking over her shoulder at the boy behind her, she smiled. "Maybe some shoes wouldn't hurt." Eddie nodded and set down the broom he had carried up to the second floor. He hurried down the hall to his bedroom while Dani did the same.

Jessica lay on her stomach, painting her nails. When Dani came in, the blonde groaned and rolled her eyes. "When are you moving to the attic, Cinderella?"

"As soon as I get some shoes on, Ugly Stepsister," Dani replied as she sat on her mattress on the floor.

"I can't wait 'til you're out of my room," the blonde teenager grumbled.

"The feeling is mutual." Dani stood and walked out of the room.

Eddie was standing and waiting for her at the base of the attic stairs. He saluted smartly, a grin on his face. "Ready to brave the abyss, captain!"

Grabbing up her bucket, Dani pointed up the stairs. "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for the sanity of all involved!"

The pair laughed as they raced each other up the narrow staircase. Dani slowed, letting Eddie pass her on the stairs. He threw open the door at the top and disappeared into the dark attic. Following behind him, she stepped off the top stair and onto the floorboard of the attic. Dani looked around in awed silence.

There was clutter reaching to the slanted ceilings and walls couldn't be seen behind boxes and furniture. A small one-man path had been left between some boxes - Christmas decorations no doubt - for easy access. Windows couldn't be seen either, although Dani was sure there were some.

Eddie spotted a dangling light switch. Standing on his toes, he reached for the metal chord and tugged. A dim glow bathed that section in light, revealing cobwebs and dust.

"Well," Dani sighed as she set down her bucket, "looks like we'll need to clear some stuff out first." She rolled up the sleeves of her lavender button-up shirt that was too small and didn't cover a thin strip of skin between the shirt and pant's hem.

"Where are we going to put the boxes?" Eddie asked as he propped the broom against the wall of the stairwell.

Dani scratched her head in thought, looking at the overwhelming task before her. Her uncle had cleared some space out of the shed already for any new items. The space above the garage needed to be sorted through too. Jason had said he would do that Sunday sometime. Nothing could be left in the hallway as per Veronica's orders.

Shrugging, Dani said, "Until your dad can move stuff into the garage, we'll put as much as possible in the shed." She stepped around Eddie and slid the box off of the pile that was closest to her. Eddie tested a couple boxes until he found one that wouldn't be too heavy for him. The pair trekked down the stairs of the attic.

~*/*\*~

Movie boxes from the attic to the shed and garage took up several of Dani's weekends. For the most part, she and Eddie worked together on carrying boxes and furniture out of the attic. Jason helped with the heavier or more awkward pieces and he also cleared out space in the shed or garage space for them.

Veronica disappeared on the afternoons that Dani worked. No one ever mentioned it to her. Jessica holed up in her room and complained about the noise, dust, and sweaty smelling clothes and people. Peter stayed out of the way by watching TV or playing a video game.

The boxes of stuff that the family didn't want any more ended up in a pile on the garage floor. Furniture rested beside it. The only thing now that these objects needed was to be sorted through. Dani would decide what she would sell, keep, or toss - after her aunt's approval of course.

Dani had finished sweeping, scrubbing, dusting, and doing some general cleaning in the attic. The nice thing about the attic was that there wasn't any insulation that she would need to clear out or cover up. Jason had warned her that she might need a fan for the hot summers and a heater for the winter. Luckily for Dani, both items had been stashed away beneath the junk.

Now was the time for her to go through those boxes that had been set aside. Having dragged a couple of old blankets out to the garage, Dani laid them out and sat down cross-legged beside the first box. Written on the box in black marker was the title 'Grandma's Fabric'. Pulling a pair of scissors out of her jean pants pocket, Dani cut through the old tape that held the box shut and began rifling through the contents.

Eddie exited the house in a hurry. His sneaker-covered feet thumped loudly on the porch as he descended the stairs and ran toward the garage. He skidded on the concrete floor before plopping down on the opposite side of the box that Dani was looking through.

"I managed to give Jessica the slip!" Eddie beamed proudly. "She thought she could make me do all the cleaning in the kitchen. Boy! I sure tricked her!"

Dani smirked. Every day she was at her relatives' house, Eddie seemed to be a bit more like Dani than his own immediate family members. "Yeah?" she queried, "How'd you do that?"

"Well, she said that since I was a big kid now - why'd she have to say that? It's not like I haven't been a 'big kid' since like - I was four! Duh!"

Dani chuckled at the commentary.

"Anyway," Eddie continued in an excited manner, "she said I could clean the kitchen _all by myself_! Can you believe her?"

"Nope." Dani frowned as she thought about this. Jessica had always been a domineering bitch when Veronica was out, but, ever since Jason and Veronica had forbidden Jessica from seeing Drew Mason, Jessica had been vicious to everyone. Dani knew that, although Jason and Veronica ordered their daughter to break up with Drew, Jessica still hung out with him at school. Why hadn't she tattled? Simple. Dani didn't want to rock the boat. Let Jessica's stupidity catch up with her again.

Tuning back into Eddie's story, Dani glanced at him with a smile. He waved his hands energetically as he spoke. "So I told her that Mom had said that she was supposed to do the kitchen while I put away the dry dishes in the shelves that I could reach. 'Cause of - well on the account that I dropped a couple of dishes the last time I tried to help you."

"Yeah." Dani winced. She remembered that night. Veronica had blamed Dani for breaking the cups, but, when Eddie had tried correcting his mom, Veronica berated Dani for allowing Eddie to do something he couldn't do in the first place.

"But Jessica said she didn't care!" Eddie's blue eyes widened to amazing proportions. "But she stayed in the kitchen to make sure I did everything. So guess what I did." A sly grin spread across his face and Dani couldn't help but laugh.

"What did you do?"

Cupping his hands over his mouth and leaning forward to whisper into his cousin's ear, he said, "I pretended like I was going to drop Mom's favorite plate!"

Dani leaned back and tossed her head back as she laughed aloud. She could just picture the horrified expression on Jessica's face!

"So she told me to go and she'd finish up. It was awesome!" Eddie leaned back on his hands, satisfaction easing the tension that Dani knew he held.

"That _is_ awesome, Eddie," Dani agreed. She blew her bangs out of her eyes and reached for the marker that had rolled away. Writing in big black letters, she marked the box as 'For Sale'.

Leaning forward again, Eddie asked, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for stuff to sell," she replied before pushing the fabric box aside. Dani slid another box over to her side. She wondered how much she should charge for the fabric. Her eyes scanned this box for a label.

"Are ya gonna keep anything?" Eddie flipped a box's flap up so he could look into it.

Dani nodded and motioned toward a pile that had a few items already waiting to be moved back to the attic. "Yeah, you can look at the stuff if you'd like." She focused on her task as the boy stood and shuffled over to the stuff. She already knew what was over there.

Dani had found an old vanity desk with drawers that belonged to her Great-grandma Julie. The mirror was a bit tarnished, but you could still see a reflection. A dresser with wooden knobs stood beside the vanity. The colors clashed. Dani loved that though. The vanity was a light wood while the dresser was a light green that had paled from sitting in the sunlight that came in from one of the attic windows. A folding screen was leaning against the dresser. Large pink roses on a dark, green background had some holes and tears, but Dani couldn't pass up the vintage looking piece. On top of the dresser rested a lava lamp, its blue liquid catching the sunlight as it came through the open garage door. Standing beside the lava lamp was a white birdcage. There was also an armchair. The upholstery was a light brown with faded red flowers stitched into the cushions. A box of faded record sleeves sat in the chair. Some records were classical, others a bit more from her parents' generation. Several small rugs were rolled up and scattered among the pile. An old cuckoo clock was nestled in a box of yellowing newspapers.

"Wow!" Eddie peered into the lava lamp. "Does it still work?"

"Haven't tested it yet," she admitted. Dani pulled out some stuff from the box she was looking at and tossed them on the blanket designated as the trash pile. Finished with separating items, she wrote on the box 'For Sale' before moving it out of her way.

Eddie moved to another box that was resting among the 'Keep' pile. Curious, he searched over the box for a label since the tape had been unbroken. "'Sarah's Stuff'. Dani, who's Sarah?"

The teenager looked up from the ancient looking vacuum cleaner she held. With a shrug she bowed her head back over the machinery. "I dunno. Uncle Jason said it might have belonged to the previous owners of the house."

"Why'd they leave it?" Eddie asked as he tried to figure out was in the heavy box.

"I don't know."

"Have you opened it yet?"

Dani shook her head before trying to stuff the vacuum back into the box that had been holding it. "Nope."

Eddie drummed his hands on the box as he thought. "Then how do you know you want to keep anything in it?"

"I figured it wasn't right to sell something that doesn't belong to us," Dani grunted as she tried kicking the metal vacuum into the cardboard box. "I'll figure out what to do with it later." Lifting her hands in defeat, she said, "I'll just leave it like that. Maybe whoever buys this piece of crap will have better luck in getting it back into the box!"

Eddie giggled. "You said 'crap'."

"Just don't repeat that in front of your mom." Dani smiled wryly. "Here, give me that box. It's got a bunch of glass bottles in them."

~*/*\*~

Dani trudged wearily up the stairs to the attic. Once the attic had been cleared of all boxes and cleaned enough that someone could eat off the floor, Jessica had insisted that Dani's mattress be moved up to the attic. Dani hadn't complained in the least.

The only downside was that she had to live out of a suitcase again.

Reaching the top of the stairs, the teenager huffed and shifted the box in her arms so she had a better hold on it. Dani stumbled over to her mattress and set the box down on the floor before collapsing onto her bed. Glancing over at the bed frame that was awaiting assembly, she smiled. It was white and would be low to the ground, but it was a bed! Dani didn't think she'd ever be so happy for a real bed.

Dani returned her attention to the mysterious box that Eddie had reminded her of earlier. She stared at it now, trying to remember why she had felt like she needed to keep it. "I bet it was my owl that convinced me." Glancing out the triangular window on the opposite end of the attic, she smirked. "Hmmm. Still light out. He probably wouldn't even be there right now."

She bit her lip as she looked at the box again. All over the box was written 'Sarah's Stuff' or 'Sarah's Treasures' or 'Sarah's Keep Out!' Dani reached for the scissors that were sticking out of her back pocket. Tapping the blade against the box, she asked, "To open or not to open? That is the question." Opening the scissors and running the sharp edge across the tape she said, "I'll risk it."

The cardboard flaps popped up in an inviting way. Dani set the scissors aside and pushed the flaps out of her way and looked into the box. Slowly, she reached in and pulled out a teddy bear. A smile graced her lips. "I don't know why - but for some reason I want to call you Lancelot."

Dani set the bear down on the mattress and reached for another plush toy. A cat with green eyes. "Gawain," she declared, setting it with Lancelot. A bird, "Geraint," Dani nodded to him as she spoke the name. Another cat, "Gareth." A panda, "Gaheris." A ceramic deer missing a leg, "Bedivere." A white bear, "Galahad." A giraffe, "Kay." A white puppy that had a red ring around his left eye, "Bors." A horse, "Lamorak." A duck, "Tristan." A red bear holding a heart, "Percivale." The last stuffed animal was a green dragon, which Dani named, "King Arthur."

Looking at the pile of animals she laughed quietly. "Well. Looks like the round table is all assembled."

Dani returned to the box. A squirrel - or dog thing - that looked like a pirate was squished between some books. "Hmm. And who are you, noble sir?" She smiled at the one-eyed toy before putting him aside too. Looking at the books with interest, Dani gasped at the vintage looking copies of _Wizard of Oz_ and _Snow White_. Next, she pulled out two rolled up posters. Unrolling them one at a time, she found that one was a poster for the musical _Cats_ while the other was a copy of M.C. Escher's drawing of a room of stairs.

She set those aside too and continued looking in the box. A wooden box that had walls like a maze rested in the bottom. A doll standing in a pink pavilion lay in the space between the maze and the cardboard box's wall. When Dani picked it up, music chimed sweetly from the base. "Nifty," she said as she turned it upside down to find the key.

After a few turns, a tune began playing. Dani set the musical toy aside and hummed along absentmindedly. She lifted the maze out of the box and turned it so she could look at it from different angles. White knobs on either end of the box allowed the player to tilt the maze to make a metal ball roll along and avoid the holes.

Dani was about to place the maze back into the box but spotted one last book at the very bottom. "What's this?" she reached for the small red book and flipped it around so she could see the title. The front cover had black roses etched around a pin-stripe thin border. At the cover's top, in gold letters, was the title _The Labyrinth_. Flipping the book open, Dani started reading the playbook.

Without even realizing it, all sounds other than the music box began drowning out. Dani's eyebrows dipped down in concentration as she read the narrator's words telling of two kingdoms. One ruled by mortals and the other ruled by Faes. Unconsciously, Dani began reading the words aloud.

". . . and the king of the mortal realm died, leaving his daughter and infant son as the sole heirs to the throne. The prince's mother took control of the throne for the time before her son was eligible to take the throne. But the princess, kind hearted and wise beyond her years, resented her stepmother's control and designs for the throne. She sought the aid of the creatures of the Fae kingdom, but she did not realize that her dealings would cost a terrible price.

"Please," Dani's voice changed as she slipped into the princess' character. The change wasn't great. It was still her voice but it was kinder, not as harsh as the tone she used when dealing with her relatives. This was the voice she used when telling stories to Eddie. A voice that resembled her mother's. "Please," she pleaded some unseen person, "the queen has taken the throne. My people and kingdom grow weak. An alliance is all I ask. I must take the throne to save my kingdom.

"Of course." Her voice changed again to a deeper, British lilt. "I and my people will do what you ask. All that we can do to help you, my lady."

Returning to the narrator's voice, Dani said, "What the princess did not know was that she had made a deal with the Goblin King, a Fae that ruled a section of the Fae kingdom. He was cunning and conniving. He could twist any plan to his advantage. And he did not like mortals. He sought to control them. With permission from the princess to enter the mortal kingdom, which any Fae needs to enter the dwelling of a mortal, the Goblin King and his henchmen stole quietly into the castle."

An evil smirk played across Dani's features. The Goblin King's voice caressed her lips as she spoke, "Quietly. Softly. We must not wake the child. Foolish princess. Wise and beautiful she may be, but not clever enough to outsmart me." Laughing, Dani turned the page.

"What is this? What has happened?" A panicked voice that sounded almost like Veronica's merged with Dani's voice. "My son! My son is gone!" A gasp and Dani began choking. "Goblin - King!

"The queen was dead. The prince, kidnapped," the narrator stated solemnly. "The kingdom mourned the loss and all looked to the princess for comfort and guidance."

Dani blinked rapidly, her eyes moist with tears. "I - I never wanted this to happen. My - my stepmother - dead! My brother - gone." Gritting her teeth angrily, she snapped loudly, "Goblin King! Show yourself! I will have the child back!

"Who are you, mortal, to command anything of me?" Dani's version of the Goblin King's voice hissed darkly. "You asked for my aid. I gave it. The obstacles between you and the throne are gone. You are the queen as you wished.

"I did not want the throne like this!" Dani as the princess protested, "I did not want it through bloodshed! I am not the rightful heir. My brother - the child - return him to me!"

She opened her mouth to speak again but a shout interrupted her. "Dani! What is all that noise?"

Jerking, Dani gasped for air. Looking around in bewilderment, she tried to remember what had just happened. Her mismatched gaze fell on the white-ball-gown-dressed doll in the pavilion. The music had stopped. Dani could hear the birds sitting on the tall oak tree outside the triangle-shaped window. The sounds of someone's lawn mower revving to life drifted, muffled, through the glass.

"Dani!" Veronica's shouted up the stairs.

"Just reading!" Dani shouted in reply.

"Well keep it down!" her aunt snapped.

Dani sighed irritably, closing the book in her hands with a snap. Startled by the sound, she looked down at the little red book. Running her hands down the smooth cover. A smile tugged at her lips. "That was - intense." She set the book aside and began piling the other objects back into the box one at a time save the musical doll and the red book.

Propping her pillow up against the wall, Dani scooted back until she was leaning against them. Flipping the play open to the right page, she said, "I don't see why this Sarah would have left this behind." Eyes scanning over the words, she found her place. Reading in silence for a few lines, Dani lost herself in the story once more. Once more, she unconsciously spoke the words spoken by the Goblin King.

"If you want the child so badly, you must pass my tests, dear princess. Enter if you think you are wise enough, brave enough, and powerful enough. I doubt you can make it. None have bested me. None have bested my Labyrinth.

Squaring her shoulders, Dani spoke as confidently as the princess must have felt, "It is a challenge I must accept. Goblin King, I accept."

In her mind, Dani heard the familiar chuckle that she associated with both the owl and man from the park. _Be careful what you say, lonely girl. What's said is said. Even only spoken without thought._

Looking up from the book she held, Dani whispered, "Is that a challenge?"

_And if it is?_

Closing the book and setting it down, Dani stood and walked to the staircase. Pausing, she smirked and said, "Then I accept."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_I found a friend or should I say a foe_

_~Trust Me by The Fray~_

~*/*\*~

Eddie came running out of the house and hurried down the porch steps. "Dani!"

The girl looked up from her table that she had set up in the driveway and smiled at him. "Hey, Eddie."

"Made any sales yet?"

Shaking her head and chuckling she answered, "No, I just got back from setting up the signs for the yard sale, Eddie."

"Do you think anyone will come?" His concern for her was evident as he sat in one of the lawn chairs Dani had set up for the pair.

"I certainly hope so." Dani sat down in the opposite chair and looked down the road for any evidence of possible customers. "I left a flyer up at school and a couple in the park - I even stopped at some stores to see if they'd let me put them up in their shop windows." Dani had set out early that Saturday morning to post some last minute signs on street sign posts in the neighborhood.

"Maybe I should make lemonade and we can sell it too!" Dani looked down at her cousin and smiled at the thought.

"I don't think your mom would like that."

"She's not here," he pointed out.

Dani mulled that thought over. Eddie was right. Veronica wasn't here. Jessica was holed up in her room. Peter was at a friend's house. Jason - wasn't there either. Nibbling on her lip for a few seconds as she thought, she finally shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Jumping up, Eddie shot off toward the house. "I'll make it, Dani! You stay here in case someone comes!"

The girl chuckled once more and settled back into her seat. As she waited, she looked all around for someone - anyone. At this rate, she wasn't going to get any buyers. The house was too far out of the way. Not very many people came this way - even for a walk. Dani propped her elbow on the chair's armrest before settling her chin on her hand.

_No one is going to come. Maybe I should have put those signs up weeks ago._

That all too familiar chuckle entered her head, followed by the voice. "_Giving up so soon?"_

"Shut up. No one asked you," Dani grumbled.

"_You've worked so hard - it would be a shame to take all that work for granted."_

Glaring all around in hopes that she would see the owl that accompanied the voice, Dani said, "Not taking it for granted. More like lamenting the fact it will be a waste of time."

"_Is that so?"_ The voice asked in a patronizing tone. _"I don't think you're looking hard enough for a solution."_

"And it's just so blatantly obvious to you, is it?" Dani really wanted to throw a rock at that owl now.

"_No need to be sarcastic."_ the voice chuckled, _"Or violent."_ Continuing smoothly, he said, _"Perhaps you could - wish? - for someone to come by?"_

A short laugh escaped Dani's lips. She settled back into her seat and shook her head. "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

"_Hmpf!"_ The voice in her head huffed, but Dani was sure he - it - whatever - wasn't really offended or irritated. Perhaps, just a little bit, he was pleased.

"Excuse me?" So wrapped up in her own dialogue, Dani had missed the fact that someone had wandered over to the sale. Looking up in surprise, Dani saw a woman in jeans and yellow t-shirt standing by a table that held an array of items. The woman was holding up a lamp that had teddy bears sitting on an antique looking sofa at the lamp's base.

"How much for this lamp?" The woman asked.

Dani stood and walked over to stand next to the woman. "I believe the price is on the bottom," the teenager stated. When the woman turned the lamp in her hands, she saw the white sticker.

A smile beamed on the woman's face. "Only five dollars?"

Dani shrugged. "Well, it is plastic - mostly."

The smile faded a little bit. "It still works - right?"

"Oh! Yes! I tested it to make sure," Dani hastened to assure the woman. "If you would like to make sure, then there's an outlet in the garage." She led the woman over to Jason's workbench and took the lamp so she could plug it in. Dani showed where the switch was before turning the lamp on.

The woman gasped in delight as the lightbulb turned on and beneath the plain, white lamp shade, color emitted. "The etching of the bears is painted on the inside," Dani explained. "That way, when you turn the lamp on, the picture looks like it's been colored."

"This would be perfect for Ella's room." The woman's gushed as she reached to turn off the lamp. "I'll take it."

"If it's teddy-bear-themed stuff you're looking for," Dani hesitantly offered, "there are some stuffed toys over in another box."

The woman laughed and shook her head. "Ella doesn't need anymore toys! But do you have anything else?"

"A couple of plates - I think." Dani tried to remember where she had set the dishware Veronica said could be sold. She led the woman to another table and pointed out the objects. Backing away so the woman didn't feel pressured, Dani smiled.

_I didn't even need to make a wish._ She thought smugly.

"_No. You didn't. Bravo, lonely girl."_ The voice retorted mockingly.

"Dani!" The girl turned to see Eddie cautiously making his way down the steps with a yellow, plastic pitcher in his hands. Under his arm he pressed a stack of styrofoam cups to his side.

She hurried to grab the pitcher from him and walked over to a clear table for him. "I thought we could sell some cookies too." Eddie looked up at his cousin for approval.

Dani really didn't think they could get away with that. Shrugging, she figured she could make some later to make up for it. "Sure, sounds good."

"Is this your brother?" Dani turned to see the woman beaming at Eddie. It amazed Dani how people could just fall in love with Eddie without having really met him.

Eddie looked up at the woman and shook his head. "No. We're cousins."

"Really? You two look a lot alike."

Dani's face puckered in puzzlement. No they didn't. Eddie didn't look _anything_ like the family besides having the same brown hair. Maybe her one blue eye and Eddie's blue eyes were the same shade - but he really didn't look anything like Dani whatsoever.

Eddie's grin widened at the comment though - so Dani didn't bother correcting the woman. "Are you Dani's first customer?"

The woman laughed and nodded. "I am. And I'd like to be your first customer too, if you'd like."

"Sweet!" Eddie's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wait right here, I'll go get the cookies." He dashed back into the house, leaving the young woman and the older woman to chuckle after him.

"He's a sweet boy." The woman looked at Dani, a smile on her face.

Dani shrugged, a smile still on her face. "Yeah. He's great to have as family." Turning back to the woman, she asked, "So, did you find anything else you liked?"

The woman nodded and held up the plates and a cup. While they discussed the prices, Eddie returned with a tin of cookies. Between the two of them, Dani and Eddie earned thirty-eight dollars and fifty cents.

As the woman walked away, Dani put the money in a black metal box and locked it. A satisfied smile spread across her face. Her hard work wasn't going to go all for naught.

~*/*\*~

The day began picking up after that. Spirits boosted, Dani made trips between her table accepting money and mingling among her customers so she could answer various questions or point them to a particular item they were looking for. Eddie's lemonade and cookies ran out and he had to resort to selling only lemonade - but he had to go back into the house to make some more of the liquid.

Dani had just settled another sale in the box when she heard some unwelcome and familiar voices. She looked up to see Amy, LeeAnn, and Becky wandering around the small crowd of people gathered at the yard sale. The girls from school would point at something and giggle. Sometimes they would whisper and cast Dani suspicious and scandalized glances.

Moaning to herself, Dani decided that she would still need to treat them like potential customers. Whether she wanted to or not. She double-checked to make sure the money box was locked then pocketed the key for extra measures. Dani walked toward the trio and suppressed the urge to run to the house when the girls turned to watch her expectantly.

"Hey," Dani folded her arms over her chest as she spoke, "can I help you with anything?"

"No." LeeAnn answered, chewing a piece of gum. "We're just looking."

"Window shopping - if you will." Amy snickered.

"Oh! Jessica!" Becky waved and called. Dani turned to see her cousin coming down the steps of the porch.

"Fancy seeing you girls here," Jessica declared in mock-astonishment.

Dani sighed. "Jessica, you're still being punished. You can't have friends over."

"They're not in the house, Dani." Jessica reasoned, a sly smile coming to the group of girls' faces. "I didn't invite them. They were browsing your little sale and I happened to be outside helping you."

A scowl came to Dani's face. "But you _haven't_ helped all day. This is the first time you've been out of the house."

Leaning in close to the dark-haired girl, the blonde hissed, "Play along or else I'll tell Mom where all the lemonade mix and cookies went."

Eyes narrowing to slits, Dani said, "Fine. But if you want me to play along - then you have to stay out of my way and away from my customers."

"I'll be on the porch taking my ten minute break!" Jessica backed away and waved over her shoulder. "It's so hot out today. Maybe I'll see if Eddie can get us a free cup of lemonade."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dani sighed nonchalantly. "But I believe you're friends are customers - so they still have to pay."

Jessica scowled. "It's on the house."

"Nope. I'm the boss out here, Jessica." Dani flashed her teeth in a cruel smile. "My rules."

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Amy reached into her pink, heart-covered purse. "Here's the money!"

Dani took the amount and turned to call to Eddie, who had just set his full pitcher on his table. "Three cups of lemonade, Eddie!"

Jessica groaned. "What about me?"

"Check your contract." Dani turned to walk to another customer. "You may get a 'ten minute break' but you don't get free lemonade. Make your own." A smirk made its way to Dani's lips as she listened to her cousin's quiet shriek of frustration. _That'll teach her._

"Well done." Dani looked up to see a woman with bright green eyes and long, straight brown hair. The woman was smiling, seeming to enjoy the little scene that had just passed.

"Oh - I - I'm sorry - ma'am I -" Dani stuttered to a stop, blushing. She didn't want to scare away her customers with her family problems.

The woman laughed and waved a hand as if to dismiss the apology. "No biggie. Family can be a drag. Your sister?"

"Cousin." Dani corrected, still uncomfortable under the kind, understanding gaze. "Um - is there something in particular you're looking for?"

"Well, I saw this delightful ad taped to my shop door this morning," the woman explained, a smirk coming to her lips. "Thought it might be the same girl that puts her hand on my window every day she walks by - leaving a handprint on my clean window. Know anything about her?"

Dani's face blanched and she had to clear her throat a few times before she could squeak out, "No."

"Really?" The woman's eyes and voice laughed at Dani's reaction. "Pity. Well, I would like to see if there are any books worth looking at here."

"Sure, they're over here." Dani led the woman over to a table and began pointing some selections out. "I'm afraid I've picked all the ones I liked out of the lot."

"Ah. Beat me to all the good ones then." The woman nodded as she picked up book after book. "What - what on Earth is this?" She held up a book Dani recognized as being a science fiction.

Rolling her eyes, Dani answered, "I have no idea. I found it in the attic and when I asked my uncle he said that a friend gave it to him."

A laugh escaped the woman. "This - this looks so bizarre! I'm not much of a sci-fi fan - well when it comes to books I'm not - but my small respect for sci-fi would shatter if I read this."

"You don't have to buy it," Dani pointed out almost irritably.

"Are you kidding?" The woman flipped the book open and pointed at the publication date. "Some collector would probably want it. Shoot. Wish I had brought a shopping bag. I have a feeling I'm going to be walking away with a lot."

Dani perked up. "I could have my cousin run in and get one for you."

The woman's green eyes darted toward the porch. "I think she's preoccupied."

"Not her. My other cousin, Eddie." Turning, Dani called to the boy. "Eddie, can you go in and get a plastic bag from the pantry?" He waved and hurried into the house.

The woman smiled. "Glad to see some of your workers actually work."

"He's the _only_ worker." Dani laughed. "So - you're buying old books to sell at a higher price?"

"Basically." The woman nodded as she picked up some more books to look at their condition, publishing year, and other factors Dani wasn't sure of. "That's what I do at my shop. I sell vintage books and rare books. Other random stuff - like newly published books. I try to give budding authors a chance to get their stuff out there."

"That's cool." Dani wondered if her playscript she found would be worth much - not that she wanted to sell it. The other books she found in the attic in 'Sarah's Stuff' might be worth something now too.

"I think so." The woman grinned.

Eddie came running back out and hurried to Dani's side. "Here ya go!"

"Thanks, Eddie." Dani took the back and handed it to the other woman.

"Great!" She dumped her load into the bag and looped her arms through the handles. "Oh, _Sense and Sensibility_!"

Dani looked eagerly at the copy. It had taken a lot of debate on her part whether she wanted to sell the book or not. Eventually she decided to let it go. "Yeah, I like that one! It's one of my favorite by Jane Austen. But I think the characters from _Persuasion_ are my favorite. Especially Captain Wentworth."

The woman looked up, her eyes sparkling with mischief and curiosity. "Oh, really? Do you by any chance have an affinity to Anne Elliot? A love you rejected?"

Dani tossed her head back and laughed. Once she regained control of herself she shook her head. "N-no. I think the only similarity between Anne and I is that our moms died. Although some of my relatives bear an uncanny similarity to Anne's dad and sisters."

"I'm sorry about your mom." The woman's words were heartfelt. "My own mom divorced my dad when I was ten. He remarried when I was fourteen. I didn't take it too well."

Dani forced a smile to her lips. "Not exactly the same."

Sighing, the woman nodded. "You're right. It's not. But I'm glad you found your ray of sunshine."

"What?"

The woman motioned toward Eddie, who had taken up his station back at the lemonade stand. "Him. My stepbrother became my world - after I finally grew up and realized what an idiot I'd been."

Dani's smile became genuine then. "Yeah - it didn't take much to get me to see Eddie was my saving grace. He keeps me sane."

"I can understand that," the woman mumbled as she looked up at the house. "Seems like whoever lives here learns that lesson."

Dani looked at the woman in surprise. "What do you mean? Did you live here?"

"Yup!" The woman looked back at Dani. "Dad and Irene moved out after Toby - he's my brother - went to college. Never thought I'd move back here though." Shrugging her shoulders, the woman said, "Turns out I'm not much like my mom after all. I didn't like the city. Slow-paced towns are more my style. Selling books with my husband."

Glancing nervously toward the house, Dani asked, "Y-you wouldn't happen to be Sarah - would you?"

Blinking in surprise the woman said, "Yes. Sarah Dugan. How'd you know?"

"I found a box marked 'Sarah's Stuff' when I was clearing out the attic." Dani felt her heart sink. Would she want the stuff back?

Sarah smiled. "Really? Wow. Irene told me she had thrown that stuff out."

"Guess you want it back, huh?"

Sarah shook her head, raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Nah. I don't need it anymore. If you like anything in that box, you can keep it."

Dani relaxed. "Okay. Sweet." Glancing down at the books, she said, "Well, if that's all, I can count up how much you owe me."

Sarah laughed and nodded. "Sure." They walked over to the table where Dani had the money box. While Dani pulled books out of the bag to see the price stickers, Sarah watched.

"You know - it's kind of odd," Sarah began. "You look a lot like someone I once knew."

"Who?" Dani asked, not really paying any attention.

"You probably don't know him," the woman shook her head, a smile and faraway look coming to her gaze. "But there is something about your eyes and his eyes that is very similar."

Dani finished tallying the cost of the books. "Well, there aren't many people that I've come in contact with that have mismatched eyes." Her thoughts turned toward the man in the park.

Sarah reached for her purse and began shelling out the amount owed. "No. Probably no one else in this town at least." She handed the money over and smiled. "I'm so glad to have found someone who is as fond of old books as I am. If you're ever interested in seeing my shop -"

"When is it ever open?" Dani demanded.

A laugh escaped Sarah's lips. "We're a recent business, so we've been stocking the shelves. Our grand opening is in two weeks. Feel free to stop by sometime. Who knows," Sarah began walking away as she said, "if business is good, I might need to hire someone. You'll be at the top of my list."

Dani stared in mouth-open shock. Had she heart Sarah Dugan correctly? Had that just been a job offered to her? _I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming._

"_Afraid not, lonely girl."_ The voice in her head was stunned as well.

~*/*\*~

The crowds diminished as the evening drew near. Jessica's cronies had left a couple of minutes after Peter came out demanding Jessica put one of the frozen pizzas in the oven. Eddie ended using up all the lemonade mix.

Dani slowly began collecting and gathering all the leftover items from the sale. Jason had said that whatever was left over would be taken to Goodwill or some other charity store nearby.

She was content with the amount she ended up with at the end of the day. Dani was sure she'd be able to buy some good stuff to decorate her room with and clothes! The idea was so encouraging that she almost did a little victory dance on the gravel driveway.

"Seems I'm too late."

Whirling around at the voice spoken audibly, Dani saw the man from the park. He was strolling up the driveway, his hands tucked into the pockets of his rather tight fitting jeans. His white shirt hugged his torso, showing off his lean figure and some muscles.

Dani stared at him for a few seconds longer before saying. "I'm just - cleaning up. So it's alright if you want to look at what's still out." She paused, her brain catching up with her words and who was standing before her. A frown crossed her features. "What are you doing here?"

A smirk rose on his face. "Can't I come to a yard sale if I like?"

"But how did you -"

"Know about it?" He lifted a hand from his pocket and showed her a folded up piece of paper. "You did post an ad in the park."

"You haven't been at the park since you took my book." Dani complained.

"Yes, and it would appear that you haven't changed your appearance or outfit since then, either." He eyed her outfit disdainfully.

Dani looked down. She was wearing the same stripped shirt with the star on the chest. She was about to retort, paused, then said, "You still have my book!"

Shrugging the man walked over to look over some of her wares. "Well I don't have it with me at this very moment as you can obviously tell. So what would be the point in accusing me of having it. And I didn't take it. You threw it away. One man's trash."

"But it isn't trash! It's mine!" Dani marched over to him. "I already explained that to you!"

"Yes. You did." He turned to look down at her. Dani almost backed away, realizing that she had stepped a bit closer than she intended. Not wanting to appear intimidated by his height or gaze, she remained where she was. The man smirked, as if he could read her discomforted thoughts. Bending slightly, making her blush, he said, "I have every intention of returning it to you. Just not in the condition it is in."

Dani glared at him, letting her bangs fall in front of her green eye. "If it's in a worse condition than what it was in when you took it - I swear I'll make you pay!"

The man paused and stared, expressionless, at her. "My."

"What?" Dani snapped.

"You're gaze is much like a winter sky. Harsh and cold." He blinked slowly. "It freezes any who cross you."

Dani felt a blush rising on her face. "Wish it would - freeze you," she stammered, trying not to let his comment faze her.

A smirk and a huffed laugh escaped him. The man backed away. "It would take much more than that to freeze me, my dear. I believe, I'll purchase this." He reached blindly to the table and picked up a stemmed glass that had intricate designs cut into its surface.

"That'll be twenty-five dollars," Dani mumbled as she stepped over to her money box.

The man reached into his back pant's pocket for his leather wallet. He gave her exact change and watched as she wrapped the cup in brown paper. With a nod he said, "I'll see you around, Danica."

She turned and said, "Yeah, whatever." She was about to pick up a box but hesitated. Turning back she exclaimed, "I still don't -" but he was gone. "Know your name," she growled irritably. "Ugh! What is he? Houdini?"

"_Not hardly._" The voice in her head chuckled. That voice that sounded uncannily like that man's voice.

"Shut up, birdie."

"_Yes, m'lady."_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Too much rejection_

_No love injection_

_~ Underground by David Bowie ~_

~*/*\*~

Dani smiled as she leaned back. With a sigh, she looked around her room and stretched. A month had passed since the yard sale. Now it was November. Her room was furnished with some stuff from the attic that she had liked and wanted to keep.

With some help from her uncle Jason, Dani had nailed some old planks of wood to the beams to make book shelves. An old ironing board served as a place to just dump stuff, a wooden stepping stool served as a side table next to an old chair that had been buried beneath boxes of junk. Her bed was set up beneath one of the windows and was covered in cheap blankets and pillows that looked nice. Dani had fallen in love with the dollar store. She and Eddie had stopped at an arts and crafts store in town and picked out a bunch of random beads and charms then strung them together. Dangling from the rafters and hanging in front of some of the windows - who knew there were three in total? - the little light catchers decorated her room.

Dani even took some of the silverware that hadn't sold and made a wind chime out of them.

Standing from the black beanbag chair that she had settled in, she walked over to her one of her many bookshelves and plucked the red-leather-bound book from its place. Flipping through the pages, she came to the last place she had read and began pacing the floor. She had read through the story to it finish in a short time, but now she was committing it to memory. The princess' words were so - powerful sometimes. Dani wondered why she couldn't be as strong as this fictional character.

She stopped pacing suddenly and looked up at the calendar hanging on the brick wall beside her. Circled in red - with skull and crossbones drawn beside the date - was the dress check date for the winter dance. Dani frowned at the date. She didn't want to go, but, for some reason beyond her knowledge or understanding, Jessica had insisted.

"No doubt has some scheme to humiliate me in front of the whole school," she mumbled.

"_You really need to stop being so cynical."_ Dani rolled her eyes and sighed at the voice inside her head.

"You've seen her and what she's like!" She snapped the book in her hands shut and let it plop down onto the old vanity desk she had kept.

"What who's like, Dani?" The teenager turned to see Eddie standing at her door. "Sorry, I shoulda knocked."

Smiling, she shook her head. "Nah, you're welcome whenever - well not when I'm naked."

Eddie blushed a little but asked his question again instead. "Who are you talking about? And - who are you talking to?"

Dani turned to look out the window and waved a hand at the sight she saw. "I'm talking to the owl. He's kind of annoying." Sure enough, a white barn owl was perched in the tall oak tree's branches just outside the attic window. "And I was talking about your sister."

Eddie gave her a confused look as he glanced from her to the owl and back. "He doesn't talk back to you. Owl's can't talk."

Dani shrugged. "No, they don't, but it's fun to pretend."

"_Yes, this is all pretend,"_ the voice groused irritably. _"I'm always just pretend."_

Dani made a face at the owl before plopping down on the edge of her bed. "What can I do for you, Eddie?"

"Mom said we could go to the park since I've got all my homework done," Eddie answered energetically. "We can practice soccer!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Dani waved him toward the door. "Lemme change out of my school clothes and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Okay!" Off the kid dashed.

Dani turned toward the window and quirked an eyebrow at the head-tilting owl. "Well? I'm going to change now. I'm not giving a show."

The owl's feathers ruffled in a manner that made him look rather flustered before the bird launched from the branch and flew away. Dani smirked and walked over to her green dresser.

~*/*\*~

Dani flipped her long black scarf around her neck and let the extra material hand down her back. The black material was a strange contrast to her white winter coat, but it matched her wool gloves that were clenching at her sides.

"Come on, Eddie! Let's see if you can get another ball past me." She smiled at his contagious laughter.

"Dani, I'm winning. Why don't we just go to that bookstore now? I bet Mrs. Sarah has some hot chocolate made." The boy's face was kissed from the wind. Nose and cheeks were red as cherries. Unlike Dani, he had shed his gloves, hat, scarf, and coat. Running around had made him warm.

"One more goal, I bet I can steal the ball away this time." Dani grinned and waited anxiously for her cousin to start dribbling the black and white ball toward her.

Eddie shook his head and smiled wryly at her. Without another word, he began his steady advance. Dani watched eagerly.

The boy faked to the left just enough to get her to commit, then dodged around to her right, and kicked the ball through the two trees that were parallel to each other. Raising his hands in the air he shouted, "Goooooooooooooooooooal!" like he had heard on the broadcasted soccer games.

Dani bent over to rest her hands on her knees. Shaking her head she said, "You win. Now, let's get some hot chocolate."

Eddie retrieved the ball and hurried to his cousin's side. "You're not mad I beat you, are you, Dani?"

"Nah. I'm not a sore loser." She smiled at him and motioned toward the bench where all his winter gear was waiting. "Better put those on."

"I'm too hot!"

"Yeah, you're smokin'," Dani teased. "But you'll be cold pretty quick, so put the coat on and stuff the rest of the stuff in your pockets. You don't have to zip your coat up." She waited for him to do as she had suggested. While waiting, her gaze wandered toward the path that led to the bridge and the bench beneath the oak tree beyond it. After not seeing that guy since the yard sale, Dani had given up waiting for him.

Eddie's return to her side gained her attention. With a smile she led the way out of the park. They crossed the street and walked the sidewalks toward the store.

The large, shop window boasted all sorts of book selections and sales. Teddy-bears and dolls were dressed up in winter greens and Christmas reds. The toys sat on little chairs and were surrounded by colorful boxes wrapped and tied for the holiday. White fluff acted as snow while paper snowflakes hung from the window frame.

Eddie rushed into the store before Dani, the shop bell announcing their entrance. Dani looked around the warm store and slid her scarf off. A radio was playing "I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Clause" and somewhere a candle that smelled like gingerbread burned. A Christmas tree stood in the reading circle - a place Sarah and her husband had set up for customers to sit and read while sipping coffee.

Eddie was bent over a glass display case that held some really old looking comic books.  
>Dani walked to the countertop where a cash register and call-bell sat. Tapping the bell, Dani stood and waited for someone to show up. Her gaze wandered over the cozy little shop and not for the first time, she wished she worked here - or even lived her.<p>

"_What was that you said about wishes and beggars and horses?"_ The irritating voice inquired.

"Oh, shut up. It's wishful thinking," Dani mumbled under her breath.

"Dani?" The girl looked up to see a man emerging from one of the rows of book shelves.

She lifted a hand and waved as Eddie ran to wrap his arms around the man's waist. "Mr. David!" The boy laughed as the man put him in a headlock and rubbed a fist against the boy's head.

"How's my favorite comic buddy?" David laughed as he released the boy.

"Great! I beat Dani at a game of one-on-one soccer," Eddie announced.

David gave Dani a teasing smile. "Really? What was the score?"

"Twenty to zero."

Dani winced, but she shrugged. "Hey, he's a great soccer player."

David ran a hand through his dark brown hair and chuckled. "Eddie, you and I need to play sometime. I'll give you some _real_ competition."

"Yeah, and your 'real competition' is going to send you to a 'real ER'." The group turned to see Sarah coming out of the back room. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Mrs. Sarah!" Eddie waved from where he stood.

"Hi, Sarah." Dani smiled. "Eddie was wondering if there was any hot chocolate."

"Sure is! Just set it up on the coffee table." Sarah watched in amusement as her husband and the little boy hurried over to the reading circle. The pair disappeared behind the large Christmas tree, but could still be heard as they chatted about soccer and comics.

Turning to the teenager, Sarah asked, "How have you been?"

Dani shrugged. "Busy. School. Family. The usual drama."

"I bet." Sarah motioned toward one of the chairs. Both ladies sat down and relaxed into the cushions. "What's going on at school?"

Dani looked away. Her gaze focused on the shiny ornaments that hung from the pine tree's branches. She appreciated Sarah's attempt to be a friend. A long time ago, the two had talked about everything. Dani had just opened up. She didn't know why. Maybe because talking to her imaginary owl friend didn't help. Maybe because she was tired of waiting for that mysterious guy at the park so she had someone to yell at without fear of punishment. Maybe because she knew that Eddie couldn't or shouldn't hear everything that was on the teenager's mind.

Sarah understood. She understood a lot.

Sarah knew what days Dani wanted to talk about her family. She knew what days Dani wanted to talk about school. Sarah knew when to back off or when all Dani really needed was chocolate and a box of tissues.

Dani was so grateful for Sarah's presence and friendship.

"Well," Dani began slowly, "the dress check for the school winter dance is coming up."

"Yeah?" Sarah's face brightened. "That's cool. You going?"

Dani sighed and shrugged. "Jessica told me I had to go. Then she somehow made it so I was one of the servers during the night. Which means I'll get stuck with the punch or something. Now I really do have to go."

Sarah hummed and nodded. "Not quite as much fun as going with a date."

"Not like anyone would _ask_ me anyway," Dani complained.

"Ah! No defeatist attitude!" Sarah poked the dark-haired teenager in the arm. "This is a positive zone only!"

They heard Eddie's laugh from behind the tree. David offered to show the boy some of the comics that were in the back room. The girls waited until the boys had left before the conversation continued.

"Well no one is going to ask me - and if they did, I'd say no." Dani shrugged. "I'm not interested in any of the guys in the high school."

"Why is that?" Sarah pressed.

Dani's answer was simple. "They all believe Jessica." The two remained quiet for a while. The next song that played over the radio was "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

Sarah glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye. "So what'll you wear?"

"I dunno," Dani replied as she turned her head to meet the woman's gaze. "I don't have anything really nice for a dance. I don't own a whole lot of dresses." Frowning in concentration she slowly shook her head. "Actually, I don't think I have any dresses. I don't even have money for a dress."

Sarah snapped her fingers. "A job!"

"What?"

"What you need, is a job." Sarah nodded sagely. "I know just the job, too." Leaning forward so she was on the edge of her seat, Sarah continued, "Remember how I told you there might be a job opening here in my shop if business picked up?"

Dani chuckled and motioned around the empty store. "Yeah, but it hasn't."

Sarah waved a hand to brush aside the comment. "It has - more the online store has. I need to go pick up some books for my stock and I also want to go scout out some more possibilities. Then I need to go talk to some potential authors that I want to display in my store.

"That all means, I have to leave the store," Sarah explained. "David can hold down the fort, but he'll need some help. So, how about it?"

Dani blinked a few times in surprise. "How about what?"

"I hire you to watch the store while I'm gone," Sarah clarified. "David has his own job so he can't always be here. You hold down the fort when he has to leave." A smile spread across Sarah's face. "You'd get paid."

Dani couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Yes! Yes of course!"

Sarah held out a hand and they shook on it. "Welcome aboard, Dani!"

~*/*\*~

"No! Absolutely not!" Veronica glared up at Dani from her position on the couch.

Dani pushed off the wall she was leaning against and asked, "Why not? It's a job! I need money if I'm going to buy a dress for the school dance."

"Just borrow one of Jessica's." Veronica turned back to the television and tried to ignore her niece.

"They don't fit," Dani explained irritably.

"Learn how to sew." Veronica shrugged.

"Veronica, what's the harm of her getting a job?" Jason looked up from the book he was reading.

Veronica spluttered in anger. "What's the _harm_? This Dugan woman is going to be out of town. Leaving her husband and a teenage girl alone in a store!"

"Mr. Dugan has his own job and will probably be there more than he'll be at the book store," Dani argued. "Besides, Mr. Dugan is a great guy. He wouldn't do anything wrong."

"Mr. David is really nice, Mom." Eddie's comment drew everyone's attention for a few seconds.

"Dani's a responsible girl, Veronica." Jason set his book aside. "She handled that yard sale all by herself. Not to mention she did all the work on her room. Managing the money. She's a hard worker around the house."

"That's different!" Veronica reached for the remote that was resting on the couch and started turning up the volume on the television.

Jason got up and pressed the power button on the television. "How is it different? I think we can trust Dani." He looked away from his wife and mumbled something. Dani glanced at Eddie and was glad he hadn't heard what her uncle had said. She didn't know what it was - but that tension that always rose when _that_ topic came up was prevalent.

Veronica looked livid. Before she could say anything, Dani interjected, "I've already said yes. I've given my word and I'm not going back on it." She crossed her arms in front of her in a show of defiance.

Jason smiled wearily and nodded. "That's fine, Dani." Glancing toward the stairway that Jessica had disappeared up not too long ago he said, "At least one of the teenagers in this house is working and learning the value of a dollar."

"Jason!" Veronica turned the television back on in a huff.

Dani didn't stick around to hear another argument unfold. She rushed up the stairs and made her way down the hallway. She reached for the attic door when she heard someone behind her. Turning, Dani spotted Jessica on her way to her room from the bathroom.

Jessica glared at her cousin for a second before asking, "How is it you get whatever you want?"

Dani schooled her expression so it was neutral. "I don't get whatever I want, Jessica. For example: I don't have any friends at school. Why? Because of you."

Jessica scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Dani didn't hang around to hear what she had that Jessica didn't have. She headed up the stairs to her room and shut the door as soon as she was there. Jessica had so much more than Dani. Jessica had parents - even if they were dysfunctional. Jessica had friends - even if they were the wrong kind of friends. Jessica had a whole lot more freedom.

"_Stop throwing yourself a pity party, Danica. You have more important qualities and people than that blond bimbo."_ That voice chastised the teenager as she fell face first onto her bed.

Turning her head so she was facing the window, Dani stared mournfully up at the owl that was - once again - perched outside. "I'll throw myself a damned pity party if I feel like it. So either you join in or fly the coup."

"_Oh, woe is you."_ Acidic sarcasm scorched her mind. _"The whole world is against you and no one understands. You haven't gotten anything you wished for. I think I'll go curl up in a ball and cry."_

"Shut up," she tried hard not to smile or laugh. The way the voice in her head was carrying on though wasn't helping her plight any.

"_No. No, laughing. This is a pity party."_ The voice corrected her.

Dani rolled over onto her back but continued looking at the owl. "Thanks."

"_Anytime, lonely girl."_

~*/*\*~

Dani clutched her winter green coat close around her frame. She was nervous. She didn't know _why_ she was nervous. It was just a dance. The car came to a stop. Dani stared nervously out the window of the front seat. People were walking leisurely toward the school gym. Music could be heard from outside.

"You look great, have some confidence." Dani turned to look at Sarah and gave her a grateful smile.

The weeks that had followed their conversation about work, Dani had come into the bookstore after school and manned the front desk. It hadn't been too busy until after Thanksgiving. Dani was actually shocked by how many people flooded the bookstore looking for gifts.

When Dani had enough money for a dress, Sarah had taken her after the teenager's shift to the mall. They searched for a few hours for a dress that met everyone's standards. Dani loved it. She wished her mom was there to see her.

Instead of going home that afternoon after work, Dani got ready for the dance at Sarah's store. Sarah had done Dani's makeup and hair. Dani couldn't remember feeling so pampered. Her long bangs were pinned back with a silver clip and Sarah had used a straightener to flatten the unruly mop of black hair that stuck up in all directions. The makeup brought out all the right features of Dani's face.

Dani felt like Cinderella - only Cinderella wasn't expected to work at the punch bowl.

"Thanks again for everything," Dani said.

Sarah waved a hand to dismiss it. "Least I can do. You saved everyone's sanity." Nodding toward the gym, she ordered, "Be sure to dance a little bit."

Dani smiled and reached for the door's handle. "The servers work in shifts so I should be able to work it on the dance floor."

"Let me know if you need a ride home!" Sarah waved as the door shut behind the teenager. Dani nodded and waved before turning to walk toward the gym.

"Here we go," Dani muttered to herself. She watched the words coming from her mouth turn to puffs in the cold air. A smile quirked her lips up. Her red heels crunched in the thin layer of snow on the sidewalks. She looked around at the piles of snow that had fallen and remained right after Thanksgiving.

Entering the gym, she looked around at the decorations. A winter wonderland decked out the gym with silvers, whites, reds, golds, and greens. Music beat through the air. Warmth enveloped everyone. People were happy and enjoying themselves.

Dani spotted the girl who was taking coats for those coming in to the party. Making her way over, Dani smiled in what she hoped was a friendly manner at the girl. "Hi, Marcel."

Marcel looked up but didn't smile back. Dani liked the quiet girl. The only reason Marcel was stuck on coat duty was because Jessica _didn't_ like Marcel. Marcel was kind of a nerd, but a closet nerd. She liked some cool stuff, but if you asked the right questions, you'd find out that she liked a lot of weird stuff. She wasn't all that pretty either. She had a really bad problem with acne. She had braces and walked with a limp.

If Marcel wasn't scared of Dani, Dani was sure they could have been friends. That was the problem, wasn't it? Everyone was afraid of the dark haired orphan.

"I'll take your coat," Marcel offered in a quiet voice. Her gaze shifted to Dani's coat and the timid teenager wouldn't meet Dani's eyes. Dani felt her own anxiousness claw its way up her throat. She unwound her green, yellow, black, and white stripped scarf and draped it over her shoulders so it would stay under the collar of her coat when she took it off. Next, she shed her white fingerless gloves and stuffed them in her pocket.

Dani unbuttoned her coat and slid it off. When she handed it to Marcel, she could see the girl's eyes had widened to be two pools of shock. Dani offered a shy smile.

"I like your dress," Dani complimented. It was a nice dress. Marcel was wearing a floor-length black and white dress with white flowers stitched into the black material. Velvet material formed a shawl-like cover around her shoulders.

Marcel smiled in return and nodded. "I like yours too."

Dani looked down at her red dress that stopped just above her knees. The sweetheart neckline and strapless dress showed off pale skin and a silver necklace with a single diamond pendant. Dani's matching shoes shone with the color of newness. She truly did feel like Cinderella.

"Thanks," Dani replied as she looked back up at Marcel. "I better head to the punch bowl. Make sure no one's spiked it yet."

Marcel blushed and mumbled, "I think there's - a teacher stationed there to make sure - um - to make sure _you_ don't spike it." She looked up and whispered, "I think Jessica was going to do it - or send someone to do it so you'd get in trouble."

Dani sighed inwardly. So that was how her cousin wanted to play it. "Thanks for the warning, Marcel."

Marcel smiled shyly. "Thanks for - thanks for just talking to me."

Dani smiled back and nodded. As she walked toward the punch bowl, Dani decided that coming to the party wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe Jessica didn't have such a strong hold on everyone as Dani thought.

Sure enough, there _was_ a teacher standing not too far away in a conspicuous manner. Lucky for Dani it was her 'favorite' teacher too - Mr. Murton. Ever since that first day in his class, Dani _knew_ he had it out for her. She had to fight tooth and nail for the grades she deserved. He marked her as the trouble-maker and threatened her almost daily with a trip to the principal's office. The only reason she had avoided the principal's office so far in the year was because she hunkered down and shut up.

Mr. Murton watched her approach but didn't say anything to her. Dani fell right into her job by prefilling some cups for when people swung by. She kept her eyes focused on people coming by her table to see if any of them had the intention to poor alcohol into the fruity concoction.

As the evening progressed, more students filed in and the party began to pick up. Dani watched couples come in. Some stayed together the entire night, some split up and changed with every song change, and some stood on the outskirts of the party watching everyone else.

Dani smiled at the people getting their picture taken. Some of them were just amusing to watch, others were cute.

"Dani?" Her attention was pulled away from her people watching. In front of her stood Greg and Charlotte. They both looked surprised to see her there.

"Hey, guys." She picked up two cups and held them out to the pair. "Punch?"

"Yeah, thanks." Greg accepted the cups and handed one to Charlotte.

Looking between the two, Dani guessed, "You guys here as dates?"

Charlotte blushed but Greg puffed up with pride. "Yeah!"

"Grace and Sophie got asked out too," Charlotte hastily added in order to get the attention off of herself. "They're around here somewhere."

"That's nice." Dani looked through the crowds for the girls mentioned but shrugged it off when she didn't spot them right away. "You guys having a good time so far?"

"Yeah, but we didn't expect to see you here," Greg tilted his head in confusion.

"What he means is," Charlotte interpreted, "we didn't think a school dance would be your thing."

Dani fought to roll her eyes. It wasn't her 'thing', but she was here anyway. "Well, someone has to serve punch." A smile forced its way to her face as she filled two cups to replace the ones she had given to Charlotte and Greg.

"Thanks for helping out," Greg said before taking Charlotte by the elbow and tugging. "I love this song! Come on!"

Charlotte set her cup down beside Greg's and began walking away. "See ya, Dani!"

Dani waved and nodded. "See ya," she mumbled. "Not like you'll talk to me again."

Taking the two discarded cups, Dani tossed them in a trashcan that was stationed near her table.

"Well if it isn't Jessica's felon - I mean, _cousin_." Dani didn't even try to bite back her moan. Turning, she glared at Drew who stood with an arm slung around Jessica's shoulders.

"Drew. Jessica. Would you like some punch?" She held up two cups and wished to all the powers that be that they'd take the beverage and leave.

Jessica smirked and shook her head. "No, thanks."

"We don't want something that tastes so _weak_." Drew made a face and made a gagging noise.

"We actually came over to see if you'd like a break," Jessica announced.

Immediately, Dani heard alarms go off inside her head. How dumb did her cousin think she was? Her expression going neutral, Dani shook her head. "I'm supposed to wait until one of the servers comes to take my place. I think Will is supposed to take my place later tonight."

"Don't you want to go dance for a little bit?" Drew flashed a perfect smile. "Hey, why not save a dance for me?"

"What?" Jessica looked up at her boyfriend with a glare. This was apparently not part of their act.

Dani smiled cheekily. "Thanks, but no thanks. You're out of your script and I don't want to deprive my wonderful cousin of your delightful company." Setting the cups down, Dani made a shooing gesture with her hands. "Go on and enjoy yourselves. Take a picture or something."

Jessica huffed and began dragging her boyfriend away. Drew rolled his eyes but looked back at Dani, eyeing her and her dress. Dani couldn't help but shudder at the way he had inspected her.

Time went on, the party dragged by. Mr. Murton even stepped away for a few minutes, giving Dani a chance to relax and just enjoy the music. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She was sorely tempted to slip her heels off. Glancing around, Dani shrugged. Not like anyone was going to notice or care. With a relieved sigh, she took her red shoes off and smiled at the cool gym floor soothing her sore feet.

When she looked up again, Dani watched a group of girls and guys stumbling toward her from the dance floor. When one of the giggling girls looked up from nearly tripping over he own feet, Dani recognized LeeAnn. The girls and their dates stopped in front of the table.

"Six cups, please!" LeeAnn's date, a guy from the varsity basketball team, ordered. Dani eyed him skeptically. His words slurred and he was talking way too loud. He was acting - pardon the pun - punch drunk.

"Sure," Dani began handing out cups and wondered why the entire group was acting like drunken morons. Where had they picked up alcohol?

Becky's date downed his cup like it was a shot but grimaced at the taste when it was gone. "Ugh! Too sweet!"

"Tell Drew to pore more in," Amy's date stated as he tossed the cup into the trashcan. Apparently he wasn't so drunk that he could make a basket.

The girls started tugging their dates away and Dani smirked at them as they stumbled away. Well, now she knew who to look out for. She was sure that if she tried reporting Drew to Mr. Murton, the teacher wouldn't believe her. So who to tell?

As time wore on, Dani noticed that more and more people were coming to get drinks and other refreshments. Whoever was in charge of mixing the punch came and went with a refill for the bowl. Dani began to wonder if she was ever going to get a replacement.

"Dani!" Looking up from serving the last group of people, she sighed. Drew was back. He turned so he was leaning against the table and facing out toward the crowds. "How you like the party?"

Dani shrugged. "It's fine."

Glancing at he with a frown, he asked, "Have you been stuck with drink duty all night?"

"Yeah."

Scoffing in disbelief he shook his head. "That's just BS! Come on, ditch the punch and come dance. One dance with me, remember?"

"I distinctly remember saying no - or a variation thereof." Dani rolled her eyes. "Where's Jessica?"

He motioned toward the dance floor. "Making an idiot of herself somewhere. She got a little mad at my kind offer to dance with you and is trying to make me jealous."

Dani laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Jessica. Now you're trying to get back at her by actually dancing with me. Wouldn't that - I dunno - hurt your image? Dancing with the 'criminal'?"

Drew grinned at her. "Like I said, I like bad girls."

"And like _I_ said," Dani glared at him as she growled, "never say stuff like that to me ever again."

Drew lifted his hands in a harmless gesture. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. I know, I was being an ass last time. Sorry. Lemme make it up to you. Come on. You _know_ you want to mess with your cousin."

"I can do that on my thank you very much." Dani returned her attention to the dance floor and attempted to ignore him.

Drew rolled his eyes and made a grab for her hand. "Come on. Just _one_ dance."

Wrenching her hand away, Dani snapped, "Don't _touch_ me! I know about your little prank. Your friends don't understand the phrase 'loose lips sink ships'. So back off! I don't like people who drink."

Drew scowled. "What?"

Dani smirked at him, leveling her icy glare at him. "Better luck next time - not."

Reaching for her again, Drew grabbed her arm and tightened his fingers in a bruising vice. "Come on and _dance_. Nothing's gonna happen to the punch."

Dani felt her bare feet skid on the slick gym floor. She didn't want to go anywhere with Drew. She didn't trust him as far as she could throw him - and she didn't think she could throw him very far. Reaching for the nearest thing to throw at him, Dani felt her fingers close around a cup. Hoping it was one of the cups filled with punch, she threw it.

_Splash!_

Dani felt her jaw drop and the pressure on her arm loosen enough for her to pull away. Stepping back, she stared at the boy who was wearing a rented tux that was now stained red. A laugh left her in a rush. She couldn't believe that had worked!

Looking around, Dani realized that a lot of people had stopped talking and dancing. They were all looking at the football player that was dripping. Dani next spotted Mr. Murton and one of the other teachers marching over to the pair of teenagers. She stepped back even further, wishing she could just bolt.

Where was a voice in her head when she needed one?

"What is going on here?" Mr. Murton demanded angrily. He glared daggers at Dani. "Would you please explain, Miss Trent, why you threw a drink at Drew Mason?"

Mrs. Quinton, the Algebra teacher hurried to the scene. "Now, Mr. Murton, it might have been an accident." She smiled encouragingly at Dani. Mrs. Quinton was nice, but she was also the cheerleading coach. So if Jessica came over and started making excuses for Drew or accusations towards Dani, the dark-haired teen was sure the one getting in trouble would not be Drew.

"It - it was an accident," Dani lied. "Drew wanted to let me dance for a little while but when he - started leading me toward the floor he jerked me off balance and I was holding a cup of punch because I was going to set it down before I left." She motioned toward the table, hoping that her lie would sound believable.

Mr. Murton looked from one teen to the other. Finally, he settled on looking at Drew. "Is this true, Drew?"

Dani almost laughed at the rhyme.

Drew glared at Dani for several minutes but looked away when she quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah. Must be. I didn't even see the cup. Would have waited if I'd known."

Mrs. Quinton clapped her hands together. "Well! Just an accident. Mr. Mason, come this way and I'll see if we can get that stain out." Smiling at Dani, she continued, "Miss Trent, since you have been so diligent in watching the punch bowl, why don't you go have some fun now. I'll return Mason to you shortly."

"I'll have to find Will first," Dani agreed, relieved to disappear.

"Mr. Murton can do that," Mrs. Quinton assured. "It is his job, after all, to see that the shifts change at the punch bowl." She gave him an irritated glare, as if he should have enforced the change much sooner in the evening.

Mr. Murton nodded and turned abruptly to walk away. Mrs. Quinton began to lead Drew away, and saw the gymnasium left in an uncomfortable hush. Waving her hands she announced loudly, "Nothing to see here."

The crowds slowly began quietly murmuring amongst themselves about what had happened before the chatter grew and people began laughing and enjoying themselves again. Dani sighed in relief when her peers turned away from her. She looked around to see if Mr. Murton had any luck finding Will and refused to move away from the table until her replacement showed up. She was not about to leave the punch after all her efforts to ensure it was not spiked while she was on duty.

"You may leave now, Miss Trent." Mr. Murton came walking briskly over to her with a reluctant looking Will in tow.

"Just making sure nothing happened if I left early, sir." Dani walked over to where her shoes were waiting and stepped into them.

Mr. Murton glared at her once more and walked over to the punch. He took the dipper and served a fresh cup for himself. He took a precautionary sniff before sipping the concoction. A disappointed grunt passed his lips as he glanced back at Dani. She gave him a haughty, inquisitory look.

"You may go, Miss Trent," he snapped.

Turning swiftly on her heels, Dani marched off into the crowds. After letting off some steam by stomping around, Dani slowed and looked around. Now that she was away from the punch bowl - Dani had no idea what to do with herself. She looked around at people milling about her. She didn't want to join the dancers because she'd be dancing alone. Another hazard was if Drew came back. Worse yet, what if Jessica found Dani?

Dani suddenly had no desire to stay. She began walking toward the coat collection area.

Marcel saw Dani coming and had the green coat waiting for her. Dani smiled a thank you to the shy girl and reached into one of the pockets where her cell phone was hidden. It wasn't until she pulled it out that she realized she had run out of minutes on her pay-as-you-go phone. Sarah was at the store and didn't have her cell phone with her, which meant no texting. She had no way of letting Sarah know she needed a ride home.

Sighing, Dani pulled on her coat and stuffed her phone back into her pocket. She would just have to walk part of the way home. Grimacing down at her red high heels, Dani wondered how she was going to walk through the park with snow on the ground.

Marcel seemed to notice Dani's plight. "No ride?"

Dani shrugged. "Out of minutes on my phone. I can walk - just not looking forward to it."

A sympathetic smile came to the quiet girl's face. "Well, I'd offer you a cell phone if I had one." She instantly brightened and a wide smile spread across her face. "I can lend you my snow boots! What size are you?"

"I can't take your boots," Dani reluctantly declined. "You need them."

Marcel shook her head as she hurried to retrieve them. She explained over her shoulder, "My mom is coming to pick me up in another hour. I only brought them as a backup in case the snow was really bad later." She held up the powder-blue boots. "Do you think you could fit in a size seven?"

Dani felt her shoulders relax in relief. "Yeah, that'd be fine." She stepped out of her shoes once more then tugged the boots onto her feet. "Thanks, Marcel. I'll give them back to you next Monday."

"You're welcome," Marcel blinked in surprise, obviously not used to thanks.

Dani thanked her again and left the gymnasium. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck and stuffed her free gloved hands deep into her pockets. Her legs were freezing! "I should have worn tights," she mumbled as she gripped the straps of her heels in her other hand.

The teenager walked down the sidewalk and travelled the familiar path she took back to her neighborhood.

Dani decided that walking wasn't so bad. It was cold, sure, but the snow looked so - magical at night. As she entered the park, she smiled at the tree lights that the park maintenance crew had strung around the naked branches of the trees. The lights twinkled and decorated not only the trees, but bathed the snow in a warm glow. Snatches of the song "Winter Wonderland" escaped Dani's lips as she walked along.

Coming to the bend where the bridge leading to her favorite hideaway, Dani found her steps slowing to a stop. Panting to catch her breath in the freezing outdoors, she stared across the bridge. The foliage, even though they had lost their leaves, were still so thickly intertwined, Dani couldn't see the tall tree's base or the bench from where she stood.

Dani looked up and saw the Christmas lights had been wound around and through the branches of the oak tree as well. She had a sudden urge to go stand under it. Without another thought, Dani crossed the bridge.

Her booted feet crunched above the snow that had accumulated on the bridge's surface. Dani looked up from her carefully placed steps and gasped. There, sitting under the tree, was the mysterious jerk!

He was wrapped up in a black winter coat, his leather gloved-covered hands cradled a Styrofoam coffee cup, and a matching black scarf coiled around his neck.

The man looked toward her and lifted a hand in greeting. "Well, if it isn't the rude girl that throws away perfectly good books."

Dani scowled and debated within herself whether she should just walk away. The idea of basking in the glow of the lights overrode her dislike of the man and she felt herself walking toward him. "What are you doing here?" She asked irritably.

"Enjoying the winter weather," he answered before lifting his cup to his lips and sipping the steaming liquid. "Care to join me?"

"I think," she motioned to the snow covered space that he'd left open on the bench and said, "if I sat down, my dress would get soaked."

The man appraised her coat and must have seen the red material of a dress just peeking out from below the hem of her coat. A smirk came to his face and he chuckled. "Quite the colorful ensemble."

Dani looked down at the green, bit of red, and blue. "Well it matched before the boots came along."

He laughed and started brushing the snow off with one of his hands. "There, all clear. Not dry, but not covered in snow."

Dani wrinkled her nose at him and shifted her stance. "Are you some kind of creeper that likes to bother teenage girls?"

The man frowned and tilted his head slightly to the side. "No. I am quite honestly trying to be kind. If you don't wish to join me, then kindly shove off."

She could tell she'd offended. Shrugging and trying to feign indifference, she sat down. "Just asking. Can't be too careful now." Glancing up at him she warned, "But if you're lying and try anything funny, I'll scream my head off."

"Yes, and screaming would do you a world of good," he mumbled as he lifted his cup to his lips again.

Dani could have sworn she saw a smirk before the cup's lid concealed his lips. She set her shoes down in her lap and stuffed both her hands into her pockets.

He noticed her movement and gave a long suffering sigh. "Those gloves are pointless, you know."

"I didn't expect to be walking home, so shut it."

The cup was set down and he began pulling his gloves off. Dani blinked in surprise when they were thrust into her face. Her head tilted so she could look up at him. He wasn't meeting her gaze. In fact, he was staring straight ahead. "Put these on," he ordered.

"Why?"

"They'll keep your hands warm," he explained slowly as if speaking to a child. "You'll have to return them before you leave, this is a temporary loan. I'm not throwing them away." Dani grimaced at the smirk that quirked up the edge of his lips.

"Won't your hands get cold?" she challenged, still refusing to take the gloves from his slender, pale hands.

He dropped them on top of her shoes and picked up his cup again. "I've got my coffee to keep my hands warm."

Dani stared at him a while longer before she removed her hands from their pockets. Her white gloves were pulled off and she gingerly slid one hand into a leather glove. She was shocked by how _warm_ the inside was. Balling her cold fingers into a fist, she nodded and said, "Thanks."

"Didn't want you to catch frostbite while sitting with me. Can't be held responsible for your stupidity," he explained in a bored tone.

She snapped, "I didn't plan on walking home tonight, thank you very much!"

"Did your date abandon you?" The man turned so his mismatched eyes could appraise her appearance once more.

Dani rolled her eyes. "_No_. I wasn't on a date. I was nominated the punch server at my school's dance. Then, I dumped a cup of punch on my cousin's moronic boyfriend. My phone ran out of minutes so I couldn't call my friend to come pick me up and drive me home. So I borrowed some snow boots and I'm walking to her store so I can get a ride the rest of the way home."

"No date?" His eyebrows lifted in mild surprise.

"No date," Dani grumbled, looking away again. She glared at one of the pillars that stood a few feet away from them. "No one would ask the girl who supposedly set her own home on fire." She hastily added, "Which I didn't."

The man shrugged. "I wasn't going to believe you did. You don't have the look of an arsonist."

"Isn't that how it is? You don't know someone's an arsonist by how they look but by their actions?" Dani looked up at him with a confused expression.

"Well you don't act like an arsonist, then."

Dani snorted a laugh. "You have no clue what an arsonist does."

He straightened and let out a huff of insulted breath. "Of course I do."

"Yeah, right." Dani shook her head. "Why are we talking about arsonists?"

"You brought it up," he retorted as he took another sip of his coffee. "So, no date."

Dani rolled her eyes. "Didn't I _just_ say that?"

"So you decided to take out the lack of a date on your cousin's boyfriend? Real mature.

Dani scoffed and stared open-mouthed at the man sitting beside her. "Excuse me? I was not acting immature! That was self-defense!"

His head whipped around so he was staring at her. Dani was almost blown away by the concern that was flashing in his eyes. There was - something else, but she couldn't figure out what it could be. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?"

Dani thought about the grip that had tightened around her upper arm. She was positive there would be a bruise there eventually. "Well - he wanted me to go dance with him - but - I knew that he was only trying to get me away from the punch bowl so he - or one of his friends - could spike the punch."

"Spike - the punch." The man's frown deepened at her halted explanation.

Dani nodded and continued, "That way I'd get in trouble - as a minor - for possessing alcohol and serving it to minors. I could have been expelled or something." Rolling her eyes she mumbled, "Mr. Murton probably would have made sure I was sent to juvie." Tilting her head to the side and looking away, she spoke more to herself than to her company, "Then again, he would be satisfied with me getting tried as an adult and sent to jail."

"That's preposterous." She looked up at the man seated beside her. The wind threatened to blow the slicked back blond strands out of place but he merely lifted a hand to smooth it back again.

"Maybe, but that's how it is." Dani shrugged and looked away again. "Anyway, to ensure I didn't get dragged away and framed with intoxicating the whole school, I did the only thing I could think of - I threw a filled cup of punch at his rented tux."

The man started chuckling softly before his laughter grew and caused him to lean back slightly from his laughter. Dani smiled, then grinned, and found herself catching his infectious laughter. Quieting herself to a giggle, she said, "I think some of it even hit his face - and got in his hair."

"Oh, Danica," the man laughed. He glanced down at her, a grin showing off his straight, white teeth. Dani felt herself warm all over from the approving gaze. "I think you have nothing to fear."

She let loose a short puff of laughter. "That's not true, but I'm glad my image as a tough girl is still intact." A pause stretched for a second or two before she pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I still don't know your name!"

He nodded and looked up at the lights above their heads. "No, I suppose you don't."

"Not fair if you ask me."

"Ah, but I _didn't_ ask," he teased. "And life isn't fair. That's how it is."

Dani stuck her tongue out at him before looking away again. She felt herself smile at his chuckle. His laughter was so - different.

"I am Jared. Jared King."

"Oh, don't sound so imperious like you're James Bond or something." Dani laughed. "You and your British accent is not all that."

Leaning toward her, he smirked. "You know I am all that."

"As if," she giggled nervously at his close proximity. Clearing her throat she said, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. King."

"Jared, please," he insisted as he took one of her hands and kissed the top of it. Dani's eyes widened to saucers, bringing another rumbling laugh from the man beside her. He pointed above them. Dani looked up and spotted a sprig of mistletoe.

"You knew that was there the whole time!" She accused, glaring back at him once more.

Jared released her hand and shook his head. "Maybe I did, but I had no intention of kissing you. You are a minor after all."

Dani waved her hand and demanded, "Then what was that?"

"A proper British introduction," He answered pompously.

"You're so full of it," Dani grumbled as she blushed.

Jared shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. After swallowing, he asked, "So, after you - doused the forward young man, what did you do?"

"I was let off duty and wandered the gym for a while." Dani stuffed her hands into her pockets. Even though the glove had kept his lips from touching her skin, Dani could still feel a disconcerting tickle on the spot he had kissed. Like he had kissed right through the material. "I didn't want to stick around and get chewed out by my cousin or get cornered by a mad football player, so I left."

Jared looked at her with an expression close to shock. "You worked _all_ night at a party and given the chance to enjoy it - you just - left? Not even a single dance?"

Dani gave him a puzzled look. "Well yeah. School dances aren't really my thing."

"That certainly will not do." Jared stood and set his cup down on the vacated space. Turning to face the still confused teenager, he bowed and asked, "Miss Danica, may I have this dance?"

Dani laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Asking a lady for a dance is no joking matter." He smiled cheekily at her. "It would be a great offense to refuse."

"And we're so keen on not offending one another."

Jared sighed in a longsuffering manner. "Please, Miss Danica, I worked up all that courage. Do not break my already fragile heart."

Dani was about to laugh in his face once again, but something in his gaze stopped her. She almost believed he was dead serious. Not about the dance, but the bit about building up courage and his 'fragile' heart. Without realizing she had done it, Dani placed her hand in his and felt his fingers close around her gloved hand.

A grin of success spread across his face and lit up his eyes. Jared pulled her gently to her feet but before he placed their hands in the correct positions, he frowned at the gloves that swallowed her smaller hands. "This will never do," he tsked. Before Dani could process what was happening, he had removed the gloves and stuffed them into his coat pocket.

"I was going to run off with those," she mumbled.

Jared smirked and set her one hand on his shoulder. "I know." He then set one of his hands on her hip and caught the other hand in his.

"I - I thought we were going to dance," Dani stammered. Her heartbeat sped up at her growing nervousness.

"We are. Do you know the waltz?"

Dani shook her head. "That's not the kind of dancing I'm used to. But - but," she hesitated and bit her lip before she whispered, "my dad used to dance like this with Mom and me."

Silence stretched between them. Dani was about to pull away from him when she heard a soft spoken, "Look at me, Danica." Her head lifted just enough for her to look at him through her eyelashes. Jared said, "Danica, it's quite easy. Just follow my lead."

Dani slowly nodded and whispered, "Okay."

Soon they were gliding over the snow. Dani apologized every once in a while when she stepped on his foot, but Jared would chuckle and assure her that she didn't weigh enough to make it hurt. Quiet conversation bounced between them. Comments about snow and Christmas traditions allowed them to laugh and feel at ease.

The clock tower chimed eleven times, signaling the time. Both Jared and Dani stopped to look up at the clock that was visible over the tree tops. Dani smiled up at the man and broke free from his gentle hold.

"I - I better get home," she said in an apologetic tone.

Jared smiled half-heartedly. "Yes, I must return as well. I have work tomorrow."

Dani walked over to the stone bench and picked up her red shoes. She lifted the Styrofoam cup and held it out to him. "I'm afraid your coffee is cold now." Dani was trying to figure out why she was in such an apologetic mood all of a sudden.

"I'll make more when I return to my home," he assured her. Motioning to her coat he said, "You better put those flimsy gloves back on."

"Oh, right!" Dani dug into her pockets and retrieved the forgotten articles. She hadn't even noticed her hands were bare. While holding his hand, Dani's had been encased in warmth. Feeling his shoulder beneath her other hand had left it tingling with a strange sensation. She hadn't expected to feel muscle. He was so tall and thin.

Smiling sheepishly at him, Dani tried to reign in her skittering thoughts. "Good night."

"A very good night to you, Danica." He nodded his head as if he were bowing to her once more.

She waved in a ridiculous, girly manner and started walking toward the bridge. Stopping suddenly, Dani turned. "Jared?"

Surprisingly, he was still there. Watching her. "Yes?"

A sincere and grateful smile brought the corners of her lips up. "Thank you. For the dance."

He smiled back at her. "My pleasure." Dani waved one last time and walked briskly over the bridge.

~*/*\*~

"Sarah?" Dani knocked on the door to the shop and peered through the glass. The woman was sitting and reading in a chair in the reading circle. So it wasn't long until the brunette looked up in shock.

Dani waited patiently as Sarah hurried to the door and unlocked it.

"Dani? What are you doing here? I thought I told you to call when the dance was over!" Sarah fussed and scolded as she shuffled the girl into the store.

"My phone ran out of minutes and you said to call the store because you didn't have you cell phone on you," Dani explained as she shivered. The warmth of the store made her realize just how cold it had been outside. She missed Jared's warmth.

"You could have texted David, you know." Sarah fussed as she walked over to where the coffee pot and hot chocolate mix were set up. "He could have called me for you and relayed the message."

Dani shrugged as she sat down in a chair. "Sorry, wasn't thinking."

Sarah returned with two cups filled with coffee. "No big deal. So?" She smiled knowingly. "How was the dance?"

"Okay. I was at the punch table practically the whole time though," Dani admitted as she took a sip.

"You _did_ dance at least once, right?" Sarah eyed the girl with threatening disapproval.

Dani recalled her dance in the park. A small smile lit up her face, which she tried to hide behind her cup. "Yeah. One dance."

"With who?"

"Jared," Dani answered without hesitation. "He's nice."

Sarah crowed with laughter. "And you said there wasn't a single guy who would dance with you!"

"He's different."

Sarah beamed with smug joy. "You, dear, are smitten."

Dani shook her head, feeling the euphoria suddenly evaporate. There was _no_ way she had a crush on the jerk that stole her book and drove her insane with his comments. "With Jared? Please! He is so irritating and -"

"Yup. Smitten." Sarah nodded as if this would answer and cancel out all of Dani's objections.

"Whatever," Dani grumbled into her cup. "After I finish this cup, I better head on back home."

"Let me drive you that far," Sarah ordered. "I feel bad enough that you had to walk this far in the snow. Where did you get those boots?"

Dani smiled again. "Walking wasn't so bad. It was - a winter wonderland. And I borrowed the boots." She began retelling what had happened for the second time that night. Everything except her visit in the park.

~*/*\*~

Dani hung her dress up on the rod she and her uncle Jason had set in between two rafters for all her clothes that needed to be on a hanger. Stepping away from her makeshift closet, Dani made her way to her bed. Dressed in felt pajama bottoms and a large sweatshirt, Dani was content and warm.

Slipping into her bed and under her covers, Dani snuggled down. She rolled over so she could peer out the window. Sure enough, her white barn owl friend was perched outside her window.

"Hope you had a good night, too," she mumbled around a yawn.

"_It was indeed pleasant."_ The voice in her head agreed.

Dani hummed a little laugh. "Good to hear. Well, I'm sorry, but I can't keep my eyes open." Eyes fluttering shut, she mumbled a good night.

As she drifted to sleep, she heard from the darkness of her dream a kind voice say, _"Pleasant dreams, Miss Danica."_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_My world is changing_

_I'm rearranging_

_Does that mean Christmas changes too_

_~ Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill ~_

~*/*\*~

Winter break arrived a few weeks after the school dance. Dani spent a lot of her free time at the park with Eddie or at Sarah's store working. When unable to escape the house to those two locations, Dani would disappear into her room to read the few books she owned. Books from the school library or the public library made their way home in her bag and entertained her for hours.

Veronica left the kids at home more and more - with Jessica in charge. One such day, the four had been left with orders to decorate the house for Christmas. Jessica left everything for Dani, Peter, and Eddie to put up.

Dani dug through the CD collection for all of the Christmas music and popped one of the choices into the CD player. Turning back to her two cousins, a grin lighting up her face, she said, "Okay! Operation Deck the Halls is a go!"

Peter groaned and slunk down in his seat on the couch. "I want to play my game."

"You've played it a hundred times over," Dani pointed out. "Isn't it boring yet?"

"No," he mumbled, averting his gaze.

Rolling her eyes, Dani heaved a sigh. "If you don't help, you don't get Christmas cookies."

Eddie jumped up and down. "We're going to make cookies?"

"Sure are!" Dani tousled her cousin's hair. "But not until after we put up the tree. Where did Uncle Jason leave the box?"

"I wish we could have a real tree," Eddie whined as he followed Dani on their hunt for the fake tree and its box.

"Mom doesn't like the mess it leaves," Peter reminded his brother.

"Did I ever tell you guys about the time my dad brought home a Christmas tree with a bird's nest in it?" Dani spotted the long box in the foyer and walked over to it.

Peter sneered. "You're not allowed to talk about Aunt Chelsea and Uncle Grant. Mom said so."

"If you tell on Dani, I'll break your game!" Eddie whirled on his brother and puffed out his chest.

Peter's hands curled into a fist and he tried stretching so he was looming over his shorter, younger brother. "You do and I'll send the goblins after you - _after_ I beat the tar out of you."

"Both of you, knock if off!" Dani scolded. "Eddie, Peter's right. I won't say anything else about my parents. Peter, you threaten your brother with goblins again and I'll hide your game for a month!" Once both boys were mildly chastised, Dani started dragging the box holding the fake pine tree into the living room.

"I'll get the ornaments!" Eddie shouted as he picked up two boxes.

Peter scoffed and said, "Don't break any, butter-fingers."

"If you're so worried, Peter," Dani flipped open the box's lid and pulled out parts to the tree as she ordered, "help your brother carry the boxes over here."

A couple hours later - and several minutes of complaining from Peter and Jessica - the tree was up and decorated. Green garland wound up the banister to the second floor and a wreath hung on the front door. The fireplace mantle had stockings hanging from gold hooks and a snowglobe sat on the coffee table's center.

Laughter echoed through the house as Eddie and Dani popped the last tray of cookies into the oven.

"There," the teen declared, "that's the last batch."

"When can I eat one?" Peter questioned, not looking up from his Nintendo.

"Have to wait until the cookies have cooled," Dani answered as she set another dish into soapy water. "Here, Eddie, help me dry these."

As Dani scrubbed the dish in her hand, she glanced over at the calendar that hung from the refrigerator door. Almost two weeks until Christmas. The girl returned her attention to the task at hand, relieved that this was the last dish.

"I'll - uh - be right back, okay?" She dried her hands on her sweatpants and backed out of the room. "No one touches the cookies! Eddie, call me when the timer rings." Both boys vocalized their consent as Dani slipped out.

Dani took the stairs two at a time in her haste to reach the upstairs. She tiptoed past Jessica's room and hurried up to in the attic. Once in her room, Dani walked over to her bed and knelt beside it. Bending over, she reached under her bed and pulled out a duffle bag.

She dusted off the blue bag before unzipping the opening. Inside rested two objects wrapped in ratty, old towels. Dani uncovered them, revealing a red cedar box that had black scorch marks on the edges. A sad smile twitched at the corners of her lips as she ran a hand over the smooth surface. Flipping the metal clasp up, she opened the lid and looked down at the contents cushioned on black velvet. Her gaze looked down at a folded flag - the navy blue background accenting the white stars.

"Dani?"

Turning, Dani saw Eddie standing in beside the door. "Eddie, what's up? The cookies can't be done yet."

"No, I brought the timer with me. I was wondering if we could put icing on some of the other cookies now." Eddie's face creased in concern. "Why are you crying?"

Startled, she lifted a hand to her face. Sure enough, tears had started to fall. Rubbing her face with the sleeve of her purple and gray striped sweater, Dani forced a smile onto her face. "Um - the dust - I guess."

Eddie shuffled toward her and looked down at the two boxes. "Are those Uncle Grant's?"

Dani looked down at the objects and nodded. "Yeah."

"Why don't you leave them out where you can see 'em?"

Slowly, she shut the case and began wrapping it up in the towel again. "Veronica wouldn't want to see them."

"But Mom hardly comes in your room," Eddie countered.

Dani sighed. "Eddie, Dad's - my dad's medals and his flag - they're really important to me. They were important to my mom - and -" She felt her throat constrict. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain, "I don't want anything happening to them. My dad earned these medals and - mom - she -"

Eddie set the timer on the bed and flung his arms around Dani's neck. "Don't cry anymore, Dani. Please?"

Returning the hug, she bit her trembling lip. Dani didn't try to respond. She only tried her hardest to stem her tears.

~*/*\*~

Dani shivered and pulled her blue bed comforter up to her chin. She knew she was starting to wake up, but she wanted to stay in the warmth of her bed a little while longer. Vague awareness of people moving about below her room made her moan as that meant she would need to get up soon. Rolling over, she sighed. Sleep was leaving her and it was time for a new day.

"Dani!" Her door burst open, squealing on its hinges in protest to the force. Dani's eyes shot open and she stared, bewildered at her young cousin as he raced toward her bed. Eddie jumped onto the bed, landing on her legs. The giggling six year old bounced up and down with excitement. "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" He shouted over and over with each bounce.

A smile spread across her face and she flung her arm over her eyes. "Eddie," she moaned, "you could have waited. Or even woken me up nicely."

"Dani!" Eddie whined as he took a hold of her arm covering her face and shook it. "Mom said everyone has to be downstairs for breakfast and after breakfast we can open presents!" Tugging on her arm and sliding off the bed, Eddie insisted, "You _have_ to get up!"

Dani turned her head, not budging from where she lay. "Is breakfast even done yet?"

Eddie's lips puckered into a pout. "No. She just woke up a couple of minutes ago."

A chuckle bubbled forth from the dark haired teen. "Then I'm going back to sleep. Come get me when breakfast is close to being finished."

"If you help, it'll go faster!" Eddie countered excitedly.

"There is no way I'm braving the kitchen when your mom is making a big holiday breakfast," Dani mumbled.

"Eddie! I'm gonna count my presents!" Peter shouted up the stairs of the attic. "I bet all the goblins _took_ yours!"

With a yelp, Eddie released Dani's arm and raced down the stairs to follow his brother. Dani shook her head and rolled over once more. No doubt Eddie would tally all of his presents and see if the amount was equal to or less than Peter's amount. If Peter had more, Dani would no doubt be called away from her bed by her little cousin to come find the missing present.

"_As if goblins took such frivolous objects."_ Dani tilted her head back so she could look out the window. The snowy, white owl that she talked to perched on the branches outside, apparently oblivious to the cold.

"I know that, and you know that," Dani replied, "but Eddie doesn't know that. He's six. Cut him some slack."

"_Well, goblins enjoy taking things - but I doubt you'd be able to find them again."_ The voice in her head coolly added.

Groaning and sitting up in bed, Dani ran a hand through her hair. "As if they were real anyway."

"_Says the girl speaking to an owl."_

"Shut up," Dani said around a yawn. "Merry Christmas. Now leave me alone so I can get dressed."

The owl seemed to nod before he took flight and disappeared from sight.

Once Dani was dressed in a green sweater, pair of jeans, and striped white and black socks, she left her room in the attic. Passing Jessica's room, she saw that the door was still closed. Chances were one of the boys had tried getting her up and had been thrown out. Dani cautiously jiggled the door knob to her cousin's room and discovered that it had been locked. Dani smirked and went on her way down the hall.

Descending the staircase, she heard the radio playing Christmas songs while the TV played "A Muppets Christmas Carol" - one of Eddie's favorites. From the kitchen, Dani smelled bacon and eggs frying on the grill. She slipped into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to Eddie as Rizzo the Rat's tail got lit on fire by Gonzo.

"So, goblins steal any of your presents?" Dani asked.

Eddie grinned and shook his head. "Nope! But I think they took some of Peter's."

"I didn't count right!" Peter disagreed from where he sat on the floor next to the tree.

Jason walked into the room from the kitchen and smiled at everyone. "Merry Christmas, everyone! Peter, go get your sister. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Make Eddie do it!"

Dani rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'll go. She's locked the door anyway."

Jason chuckled and shrugged. "Good luck getting her down here then. Come on, boys!"

As the three males of the house made their way into the kitchen, Dani ascended the stairs for one of her favorite pass-times. Messing with her cousin. Dani stood outside of Jessica's door and knocked.

"Jessica," Dani called, "breakfast is ready." She waited but didn't hear anything. Shifting her weight and leaning against the door, Dani hummed in thought. "Jessica, you know how your mom gets if everyone's not at the table when she sets the last dish down."

"Go. Away." Jessica's mumbled reply was so muffled, Dani had to press her ear to the door to make it out.

Dani looked at the ceiling and drummed her fingers on the door. "Jessica, just thought you'd like to know - Eddie just came up to let me know that someone's on the phone for you. You know, since you're cell phone was revoked - again. Wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and all that. Oh wait, he's handing the phone to me now." Dani smiled slyly and mock-gasped. "Oh! Drew! So nice of you to call. Yeah? That's so sweet of you. Nope. She's still in bed, but I'd be happy to relay the message."

Dani heard the mad scramble on the other side of the door and took off running. A thump and screech from Jessica's room elicited a laugh from the fleeing teenager. Dani jumped the last two steps to the floor of the entryway and tried to prevent herself from falling on the hardwood.

"Dani! Give me that phone!" Jessica shouted from the top of the stairs.

Dani slid into the kitchen and plopped into her seat next to Eddie. Flicking a strand of hair out of her face, she smiled at everyone present. "She'll be right down."

All eyes looked up as Jessica came storming after Dani. Her hair and clothes were disheveled and there was an imprint of the creases from her pillow on her cheek. Flushed and panting, Jessica glared at her smiling cousin. "Give me back my phone!"

"She doesn't have it, Jessica," Veronica informed her daughter as she set the plate she was holding onto the table. "And you're not getting it back until after New Years - as we already discussed. Now sit down and join everyone for breakfast."

"But Mom!" Jessica flapped her arms in aggravation. "Drew called to wish me Merry Christmas!"

"No he didn't," Dani informed. "You must have been dreaming. I only came up to tell you that breakfast was ready and your presence was required." Growling in frustration, Jessica spun on her heels and started exiting the room.

"Jessica, you sit your butt down in that chair!" Veronica snapped. Regaining her composure she added, "Breakfast is ready and it would be _rude_ to make your family wait."

"I just want to change and run a brush through my hair, _Mom_," Jessica retorted.

"It's just your family, Jessica." Jason laughed as he helped himself to slices of bacon. "We don't care how you look. Sit down while the foods still warm."

Jessica angrily marched to her seat and plopped down in it. Dani glanced down at Eddie and gave him a conspiratorial wink. He giggled as he took a bite out of his toast.

~*/*\*~

Dani peeked into the living room and saw that Peter was lost in his new game. _Good_, she thought as she tiptoed to the front door. Wrapped up in her coat, boots, scarf, and mittens, Dani exited the house. She descended the porch steps and started walking away from her relatives house.

The thin layer of fresh snow crunched beneath her boots. The chill morning air turned her breath into wisps as she breathed out through her mouth. Dani reached up and pulled the gray knit hat down so it covered the tips of her already cold ears. A shiver ran up her spine.

Presents had been opened and now the family was either resting or enjoying what they had received. Veronica was busy preparing dinner for when Jason's parents would arrive. Jessica was whining about how she couldn't call her friends and brag to them about all her new stuff. Eddie was preoccupied with his new Lego set to care what was going on. Peter was - of course - wrapped up in his new game. Jason was holed up in the master bedroom, watching the television.

Dani felt no qualms for slipping out of the house. She wasn't interested in sitting in her room on such a beautiful morning - and she really wanted to think.

Wandering the streets of the neighborhood, Dani lost herself in her thoughts and memories of past Christmases. Eventually, her path led her to the park. More specifically, she found herself crossing the bridge to her little hide-out under the oak tree. Her eyes rising from the snow covered ground, Dani was slightly disappointed to see that no one was sitting on the bench.

With a sigh, Dani walked over to the stone bench and dusted off the snow. She sat down and leaned back against the tree trunk. Maybe it was for the best that no one - rather _he - _wasn't here. Now that she was blissfully alone, she could do something she didn't have the luxury of doing. Thinking of home.

Closing her eyes, she tried to envision sitting in her old home's living room. The Christmas tree standing in the corner in front of the antique display case that held her mom's special dishes. The colorful lights were on, casting a glow over the orbs that hung from branches. A star sat on the very peak of the tree, glowing with a golden light. Two loving parents stood wrapped in each others arms. Smiling at her.

"Danica, what a surprise." She opened her eyes and turned toward Jared's voice. The tall man approached her, a package under his arm. "What are you doing here instead of at home on this fine Christmas morning?"

"I could ask the same of you," Dani countered as she moved over to make room for him. She blushed a little as he sat. She hadn't seen him since the night of the school dance. Dani couldn't understand him! He very rarely showed up at the park when she wanted him to be there. When she _didn't _want company, he was there. Now he was here. Interrupting her precious memories.

Jared shrugged. "Well, I don't have any pressing engagements so I decided to take a stroll through the park."

"I'd say great minds think alike," Dani grumbled, "but I wouldn't want to inflate your grossly large ego."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Top form today I see."

Dani reached a hand up to brush back a strand of her black hair. "Well, you did interupt me."

Jared looked questioningly about and gestured with his own hand at the silent landscape about them. "What, pray tell, did I interrupt? Were you waiting for a chap to rendezvous for a snog?"

Laughter erupted from Dani as she pictured Jared walking up to the bench and discovering her kissing someone. A blush flamed her cheeks the next moment when that 'chap' morphed into Jared. Uncomfortable with her imagination, Dani bit her lip and looked away.

Coughing slightly in embarrassment and hoping to all the powers that be that Jared did not deduce where her thoughts went, Dani shook her head. "No. No snogging." Chuckling and attempting to change the subject, she said, "Snogging? Really? You're so British."

"Yes, I suppose I am." Jared smirked. "That would explain things."

"Besides," Dani continued as if he hadn't spoken, "we already established the fact that I am not desirable to the guys at my school."

"Their loss."

"Unless we're talking Drew - but he's been avoiding me thanks to the punch fiasco. Which is kinda nice but -" Dani stopped talking and turned to blink in surprise at Jareth's expressionless face. "What did you say?"

"That I'm British?" He smirked tauntingly.

Dani shook her head, her hair whipping her face as she did so. "No, no, no, no, no, no! _After _that."

"My being British would explain things."

Growling in frustration, Dani rolled her eyes. "After _that_! You know what, forget I asked. I'll pretend you didn't say anything and you can continue being a jerk."

Jared laughed quietly. "Fine by me." Tilting his head so he could smirk down at her, he said, "Well, I've answered your question as to why I'm out and about on this fine Christmas morning. Or," he paused to expose a wrist watch and corrected himself, "this Christmas afternoon - seems we have missed lunch."

"Did we?" Dani looked up and over the trees to spy the large clock that rose over the town. Sure enough, the clock face read ten minutes after one.

"I believe it is your turn to explain your presence here," Jared interrupted her inspection.

"Oh," Dani shrugged and stared ahead at the white snow and the clear ice coating the bushes lining the river. "I thought it was a lovely day and didn't want to spend it inside."

"Yes, a lovely, chilly day. Who wouldn't want to go for a walk on a crisp, windy December morning. No need for warm houses." Jared's voice dripped with sarcasm. So much so, that Dani felt her fingers curl into a fist in aggravation.

Glaring up at him, she snapped, "Well, _I_ happen to like it out here better than inside. If you're going to be a wuss, then you can - how did you phrase it? Shove off!"

Releasing the wrapped package that he had been holding in place on his lap, Jared lifted his hands up in mock surrender. He ducked his head and attempted a contrite expression. "Merely pointing out the ridiculousness of your statement."

Dani sighed irritably and stood from the bench. She stepped away, letting out another sigh and watching her breath materialize into fog and disappear. Her shoulders sagged as she watched the brief life of her breath appear and disappear. Just like human life.

"I assume there's another reason," Jared countered from behind her.

Dani turned her head so she could look over her shoulder at him. "What makes you say that?"

Setting the package on the space she vacated, Jared made himself comfortable by leaning back against the tree trunk. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. "It's Christmas. Normally people spend holidays with their family."

"What about you?" Dani turned her head away and kicked at the snow beneath her feet. "Why aren't you with your family?"

"I don't have any and I don't celebrate Christmas. Stop evading," Jared quipped. "Why aren't _you_ home with your family."

"I'm not normal and I don't have a family," she declared bitterly.

"What about those lovely stick figures in your discarded book?"

"I want that book back," Dani stated as she bent over to scoop up a handful of snow in her gloved hands.

"Danica," his voice turned harsh. She refused to look at him. Instead, she packed the snow in her hands into a ball. Just like the way her dad showed her when she was six.

"Danica!" Jared snapped.

Dani jerked her head enough to look at him out of the corner of her eye, but no more than that. He was leaning forward, arms resting on his knees. His own mismatched glare was leveled at her now and it sent shivers down her spine. She glued her eyes to the snowball in her hand and kept compressing it.

"Now, that I believe I have your attention," Jared drawled, "you will listen to me, young lady.

"You _do_ have a family. They may not be the family you want, but you _have _one. How many children in this world don't have family? Stop thinking of yourself for one moment and consider them."

"I don't care!" Dani shouted as she whirled and threw her snowball at him. She ignored the stunned expression on his face when it hit him square in the chest. "I don't _care_ about those other kids!" Dani insisted. "It's Christmas, and it's the first Christmas after my mom's _death_! Can't I be miserable? Can't I be angry? Why do I have to feel miserable about kids I don't even _know_?"

She scooped up another handful of snow and threw it, but it didn't reach him. "It's not fair! She's gone and she was - she died because - she was so - _stupid_!" Dani collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "She went back in and - the medals - Dad's medals and flag - hit on the head - and - smoke -" Dani's incoherent words and thoughts were interrupted by her sobs.

"Isn't it enough - that - I lost Dad?" She dug her fingernails into her scalp as she sobbed. "Why did I - have to lose Mom too?"

Two, heavy hands gripped her shoulders, causing her to look up in surprise and misery. Jared's face was staring down at her in concern, understanding, pity, and sympathy. "I am sorry, Danica. Empty words that may not comfort you, but I _am_ sorry."

Lip trembling and tears brimming in her eyes, Dani sought comfort from the frustrating man. She leaned toward him and hid her face from the world. Jared's arms enfolded her in a comforting embrace and he just let her cry. He spoke quietly. What he said, she could not discern. Most likely the words a parent or adult would say to a hurt and frightened child.

When she started to calm down a bit, and became aware of Jared and what he was saying, she listened.

As if he sensed she was ready for his words, Jared murmured, "Life is not fair, as I've said before, Danica. What would have been fair? Losing the memento of your father's courageous deeds? Your mother living, trapped in a hospital bed and unconscious for the rest of her days? Who knows what her condition would have been had she survived the fire? What would you have done if she was unable to live with the requirement of aid every waking moment of the day? You're still a child, Danica. Children should not have to become adults so soon and take care of adults.

"Life is not fair," he repeated. "You don't like your aunt and your cousins. Do you really hate all of them?"

Dani shook her head, collecting her thoughts. "Eddie," she hiccuped.

"Then focus on him," Jared instructed. "Think of him when you feel like the whole world and life are against you. What life must have been like," he sighed sadly, "for that boy before you came to live with them."

A frown creased Dani's features. What did he mean? Did he know about Eddie? Did he know about her whole family?

"Holidays are hard," he continued, not giving her a chance to speak. "I assume then, that you came out today to think about your holidays with your parents."

She nodded and felt the warmth and softness of Jared's shirt against her cold, wet face. "I can't talk about them at my aunt's house. She won't let me. It's hard," she croaked, "to not talk about Mom and Dad. All I want to do is talk about them. Remember them. Share what they meant to me with someone. Everyone thinks I'm so tough, but -"

Jared remained silent in case she wanted to finish her thought. When she did not, he extricated her from his shirt front. Their eyes met and his gaze searched hers. "You are still a _child_, Danica. You are making that transition from child to adult, sadly, faster than is meant, but you are. However, you are still allowed moments of fear and doubt. These are the days where you become stronger, but it is a long journey before you are the tough, assured woman I know you will be."

Dani offered him a shaky smile before looking away again and reaching into her coat pocket. Tugging free a small, familiar handkerchief, she blew her nose before stuffing it back into her pocket.

"I'm _so_ pleased to know you've put my handkerchief to good use," Jared intoned.

"Shut up," Dani chuckled as she backed away from him and stood. She brushed the snow from her marginally soaked jeans. The touch of his hand to her elbow made her jump in surprise. He quirked an eyebrow at her and motioned to the bench. Silently, she allowed him to lead her back to the bench they had abandoned.

He let her sit first before he picked up his package and sat down with it on his lap. Dani looked at him sheepishly before whispering, "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," he ordered stiffly. "I don't make it a habit of comforting teenagers. Children - that's in my line of work." He smirked and glanced down at her. "Your assessment of the similarities between adolescents and children is gaining credibility."

"I don't understand you," Dani sighed as she scrubbed her face with a hand. "One minute you're nice and I think I like you. The next minute, you're acting like a smug git."

Jared laughed that infectious laughter that coaxed a laugh out of Dani. When the pair quieted their mirth, they sat in companionable silence.

After what seemed like a lifetime of silence, Jared cleared his throat. Dani looked up at him expectantly. "Well," he began, "I don't celebrate Christmas - not really - but I do have a present here for you."

Dani stared at him with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "You - didn't have to, and why?"

"I get presents for all the children I help," Jared explained as he handed her the package he had been holding onto. "Considering I've rid you of a book that could have ended up getting you in trouble, contributed to your little junk sale, and danced with you on the night of your school's winter festivities, I would say I have helped you. So, a present." He smirked and folded his arms over his chest. "And you thought I was a git."

Dani's mouth opened and closed in an attempt to say something, but nothing came to mind other than a very confused, "What?"

He freed one of his hands from the confines of the crook of his elbow so he could make a shooing motion with it. "Go on! Open it! Tear it open like the toddler you've compared yourself and all other teenagers to."

Sticking out her tongue and earning a chuckle in response, Dani looked down in wonder at the package. Contrary to his suggestion, she carefully peeled paper away so the suspense would build. The corner of a book peeked out until she realized that it was a stack of two books instead of one large one. Brushing the paper back, Dani gasped. For the second time that day, tears came to her eyes as she stared down at the familiar book cover.

"It's a copy of _MacBeth_!" She lifted the book in her shaky hands and fingered the cover.

"Open it," Jared insisted quietly.

Dani did as told and saw her name and address sticker - her handwriting and no one elses. She flipped excitedly through the book to find all of her markings and notations. This wasn't just a copy - it was _hers_! The pages with the offending drawings were gone - better yet, they were replaced. No one would have known what used to tarnish the pages.

As she flipped through the book, the pages fell open to the very back where blank pages had been inserted for director's notes. The sharp writing in fading blue ink caught her eye and caused the tears that threatened to fall to finally break over her lower eyelids.

_To: Danica, my aspiring storyteller_

_From: Daddy (I love you.)_

Closing the book and hugging it to her chest, Dani looked up with a smile at Jared. "How -?"

Jared reached out to brush a tear off her cheek with his gloved hand. "I have a friend that works with bookbinding and restoration. I just called in a favor." Smiling smugly, he said, "I _told_ you I was going to return it. Just not in the previous condition."

Since the day seemed to be made for seconds, Dani threw one arm around Jared for a one-armed hug. She giggled at the startled expression on his when she released him. "Thank you," she said with a nod.

"You haven't finished noticing your entire present," he bruskly stated. "Go on."

Dani looked down, not expecting any book to exceed her happiness. She was wrong. "An anthology of Shakespeare's works?" She gasped as she looked from book to the man beside her.

"Well, you liked that tragic story so much, I thought you might like some others written by the man." Jared shrugged.

"I - I don't know how to thank you," Dani admitted as she rested both of her hands protectively on the books.

Jared smiled kindly. "Be happy, lonely girl."

Dani reeled back in surprise. "What did you say?"

"I said, be happy." Jared shook his head and sighed. "Honestly. If I have to repeat myself again, I'm going to insist you see a physician about your hearing."

Shaking her head, she said, "No, I meant - oh," with a sigh she shrugged. "Nevermind. Thanks." The sound of the bell tolling two o'clock, caused both to look up.

Dani stood slowly and stepped away from the bench. "I better head back. Thanks, Jared. For - well - everything."

Jared stood and stuffed his gloved hands into his coat pockets. "Any time, Danica. Merry Christmas."

She smiled and turned to go. She was just about to step onto the bridge, when she heard Jared say, "Danica." Looking back, she waited for him to speak again. His face expressionless, Jared said, "I meant it. Those chaps at your school who won't give you the time of day? Their loss for not noticing you. Just goes to show they can't appreciate you."

A smile and blush spread across Dani's face. "I'm not saying 'thanks' again. So stop fishing for them." She turned and ran across the bridge, a giggle bubbling up inside her as she listened to Jared's infectious laughter chase after her.

~*/*\*~

Dani knocked on Eddie's bedroom door and peeked into the room. He looked up from his Lego set and grinned. "Hey, Dani!"

"Hey." She entered and sat down Indian-style on one of the few clear spaces on the floor. "Having a Merry Christmas?"

"Yeah!" Eddie declared happily. "I think the goblins took Peter's presents."

Rolling her eyes, she asked, "What makes you think that?"

"I overheard Mom asking Dad about one of Peter's presents. Guess, they either forgot or lost it - _or_," he said conspiratorially, "the goblins _took_ it!"

Dani ruffled Eddie's hair. "Better his, than yours, huh?"

"Yup!"

"But you know," Dani hummed in thought, "I think the goblins actually exchanged gifts."

Eddie's face puckered in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Dani explained nonchalantly, "I think the goblins took Peter's present cause he was being mean and a Scrooge, then traded it in for a present for someone who has been nothing but an awesome cousin to me."

Eddie grinned excitedly. "Really? Where is it? What is it?"

Dani pointed sneakily toward the pillow of his bed. She watched with delight as Eddie ditched his Legos and threw his pillow to the foot of his bed. He sat on the bed and tore the wrapping paper. Shouting with joy, he held up a copy of _Mossflower_.

"What do you know!" Dani laughed. "Goblins must have thought it was too long for them to read."

"_Understatement of the year."_ The voice chuckled in her head. _"Why do you insist on using goblins as your excuse for your own actions?"_

She ignored the voice since Eddie was excitedly talking to her about how she had to read the first chapter to him after dinner. With a promise to do just that, Dani excused herself to her room.

Dani spotted the two books Jared gave her. They lay on her bed, where she had placed them when she returned earlier. A smile quirked the corners of her lips up. A flutter of white caught her attention to the window. Sure enough, there was the white barn owl, perched outside her window.

"Merry Christmas," Dani whispered before descending the stairs of her attic room, to join her only _real_ family member - Eddie.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Aaaaaaah! Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysor ry(a million times over!)

It's been forever since I updated. I'm so so sorry! D= Life has been so stupid and I never want to have a repeat of this semester ever again!

In other news, here's a Christmas-y themed chapter update. =) Sorry of 'Jared' seems OOC. =/ I'll explain that eventually. He is still himself, just . . . ah, now I can't give it away THAT easily. Thanks for being patient. :) Maybe this Christmas Break will lend time to this and other fics. =D

Review!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_No one can blame you_

_For walking away_

~*/*\*~

Winter faded into the early part of spring. Life seemed ever the same to Dani. She would go to school, survive her classes, avoid Jessica and Drew, disappear into her secret room in the library during lunch or free hours, pick up Eddie at the end of the day, walk to work, talk to Sarah about life, walk back to her aunt and uncle's house, avoid her aunt if she was home or take over the chores while her aunt was out, do homework, read a chapter of _Mossflower_ to Eddie before he went to bed, and then hole herself up in her room with either the playbook for _Labyrinth_ or her anthology of Shakespearean plays until she fell asleep on top of her books.

The only peculiar happenings would be the random 'accidents' that happened to Jessica at school or at home. Sometimes Peter would find strange things in his bed or one of his favorite games would go missing. Veronica's hair straightener burned her hair and another time, the shower would only spew ice cold water. Blame normally went to Dani - but eventually no one could come up with a good enough reason for why these things were happening.

Not only were random 'accidents' occurring in the Pruit house, but random acts of kindness. Once, a package came addressed to Dani. Within it was a track phone with prepaid minutes on it. No explanation or card. A new soccer ball for Eddie was the next anonymous gift. Gift cards addressed to Dani were slipped into her school locker. She was able to go out and buy clothes that fit and were more her style.

The strangest kind act that Dani could not explain happened whenever she fell asleep on the floor or on top of her books on her bed. She would wake up the next morning tucked under the covers with one of the stuffed toys that once belonged to Sarah. More often than not, it was the little fox terrier named Sir Didymus tucked in with her.

Dani could only assume she had slept walked or something.

Work got a little better too. One afternoon while Dani was stocking shelves, Marcel came into the shop. The two bumped into each other and started talking about books. The pair struck up a timid friendship that they kept within the shop. Dani was a little disappointed that Marcel didn't go out of her way to talk to Dani at school - other than in the library the few times Dani sat out in the open - but she understood that Marcel liked her solitary way of life.

However, Dani's disappointment grew when she failed to see Jared as often as she once had. She would go to the park as often as she could most weekdays, but on weekends she almost always visited the park. The young woman would sit for hours on the stone bench - or climb up into the tree's branches - and wait for him to come by. He never did. She tried to explain to herself that he must be busy. After all, he worked with kids in some capacity. Kids could be a handful.

Spring approached. Dani couldn't help but wonder if the New Year would bring something different or better. How wrong she was.

~*/*\*~

Tonight was one of those nights. Dani already decided she wanted Veronica's phone to blow up or something. Dani was currently stuck in the kitchen washing dishes - which wasn't fun or easy because the food had crusted to the dishes. She wondered if Jessica purposefully let dishes sit and get grody in order to make Dani's life miserable. She still had homework to do too.

Yelling could be heard from the living room. Veronica was making Peter angry - something about the television.

Eddie looked up from his place at the kitchen table with a worried expression on his face. Dani felt sorry for him. He hated the fighting as much if not more than Dani. Drying her hands, she gave Eddie a wry smile before making her way toward the living room. Maybe she could curtail the death threats.

"Give me the remote!" Veronica shouted.

"You had it all afternoon!" Peter retorted.

Dani eyed the pair who were ignorant of their audience. Shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath, she belted, "SHUT UP!"

The pair looked at her with a mixture of irritability and astonishment.

"Now that I have your attention," Dani said as she winced at the sore throat she now had, "might I remind you that you both probably have homework and neither one of you has done it." The pair scoffed or moaned. "If neither one of you are going to work on it, then I suggest shutting up so those of us who _do_ care about stuff like grades can study."

"Whatever, Little-Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes." Veronica huffed as she snatched the remote from Peter's grip. "_Some_ of us have more important things to do."

"Yeah, like wasting brain cells," Dani muttered under her breath.

Peter looked ready to pounce on his sister but refrained. Her stormed over to a seat and threw himself on it and snatched up his Nintendo DS.

"I don't see why you even bother," Veronica countered as she stared at the television screen and flipped channels. "You're not going to get anything higher than a C anyway. All the teachers hate you."

Crossing her arms in front of her as a sign of discomfort and defiance, Dani questioned, "And whose fault is that?"

"I don't know, pyromaniac murderer." Veronica sing-songed.

Dani's eyes grew hard. "Veronica -"

"Or maybe boyfriend-stealing-bitch should be your new title," Veronica mused as she glared evilly at Dani.

"Not my fault your sex-craved meat-head of a boyfriend can't take a well meant hint." Dani snapped.

Veronica threw the remote to the floor and stood up. "Like he would have anything to do with you unless you were selling yourself!"

"Oh, we _all_ know whose selling herself, Veronica!" Dani threw back.

"Stop it!" Eddie's plea caused all eyes to focus on the little boy. "Just stop." He plead. "We're family, remember? Families don't fight!"

"Oh, grow up, Edward!" Veronica growled. "If you were any part of this family, you would hate Danica too!"

Dani's eyes narrowed at the other girl. A warning tone returned to her voice, "Veronica!"

"I'd rather be part of Dani's family than this one!" Eddie's voice quivered as he glared up at his older sister. "She's nice! A lot nicer than you!"

"Well, you may as well be a part of her family you bastard!" Veronica shouted.

"Veronica!" Dani gasped in shock.

But Veronica wasn't listening. "You know what? That's what you are! You're not a part of this family. You were a mistake! Something that never should have happened. You're a -"

Veronica never finished what she was about to say. The next minute, she was sprawled out on the floor with a welt growing on her chin. Dani stood over her cousin with a sore fist, but a murderous glint to her mismatched eyes.

Time seemed to hold still.

Realization dawned on Dani what felt like a century later. Her eyes widened. What had she just done?

"Danica!" A shrill voice brought everyone back to reality.

Eddie was crying, but not as loud as Veronica. Peter was shouting random words hysterically. Jessica stood in the doorway, swaying and supported by one of her friends.

Dani couldn't even stutter an excuse or explanation. Jessica pushed herself off of her friend and stumbled toward the stunned teenage girl. A slap across the face caused Dani to stagger backwards, but she remained standing in a daze. Dani's hand covered the angry red mark with still more shock.

"I want you out of this house. Now!" Jessica shouted over the din. "Get out of here before I kill you!"

No comforting voice rose in her mind. No snide remarks. Nothing. Dani only felt fear and the need to run. To leave.

Dani brushed past Jessica and shoved the other woman standing at the door out of the way. She ran. She ran down the street without shoes. Her socks became soaked in the spring-rain puddles. She skidded and slipped over grass covered lawns. Her feet hurt from slapping against gravel and pavement. Still - she ran. Without a look or thought for the nightmare she was leaving behind. Dani ran.

Once her lungs began to burn from exertion, only until she felt like she was about to collapse, did Dani stop. She fell to her knees and felt her sweatpants tear at the knee. Pain jumped up and down her leg. Rolling until she was sitting, Dani lifted shaking hands to her now bleeding knees. She hissed at the sting her wavering touch elicited.

Looking around, Dani took in her surroundings. It was dark. No one was around. She was - somewhere. Shivering from spent adrenaline, Dani ran a hand through her hair. What to do? What to do?

Standing unsteadily, Dani began to stumble toward the only safe place she could think of. The park.

She reached her little hideaway over the bridges and under the great, big oak tree. She collapsed on the bench. Unable to move another step, unable to think. Dani curled up and brought her legs up to her chest to conserve some heat.

The shivering didn't stop as she felt her jumbled thoughts and recollection of the events wash over her.

Homeless. She was homeless.

Tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she felt truly alone.

Lost and utterly alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I am SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO sorry for not posting sooner! I was having loads of computer troubles this summer. :( I wasn't able to access the internet and getting my computer fixed took longer than expected. This is the result of my guilt. I don't know how often I'll be posting this year, but I'll do my best!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_We don't want you to see we come and we go  
>Here today, gone tomorrow<em>

_~Trust Me_ by the Fray~

~*/*\*~

Dani woke the next morning with a splitting headache. She looked around groggily, confused, and dazed. Where was she? With a groan she sat up and looked down at confusion at the stone bench she lay on. Where was her room? Her bed? Dani ran a hand through her hair and looked at the oak tree at her back and the park surroundings.

She froze.

"I - I punched Jessica," Dani mumbled to herself with dawning horror. She'd been kicked out. Eddie -

Dani rapidly stood and stumbled on sore legs. She looked down at what she was wearing. A gray hoodie and black sweatpants - torn on one knee. Socks began to soak up the dew covered ground.

She sank back down onto the bench. She was homeless and without food, clothes, money - nothing. Dani looked up at the clock tower that was visible from where she sat. 8 o'clock. With a lurch, Dani stood up again and jogged over the bridge. She had to go to school. Maybe - maybe after school she could go back to the house and maybe Veronica would let her come back.

Dani nodded to herself as she hurried toward school. Right. Veronica told her to leave when the woman was drunk. Surely she wouldn't mean it. Surely Jason would be on Dani's side -

~*/*\*~

Dani entered the girls' gym locker room. So far, she had evaded anyone who may ask her what she was doing outside of class - or why she was late to school - or why she didn't have any shoes. Dani found her locker and quickly opened it so she could retrieve shoes, gym shirt, and her pair of long gym pants. She stuffed her torn sweatpants into the locker and pulled her hoodie on over her gym shirt.

She tried to clean herself up as best she could with what she had stuffed into her gym locker. Somewhat clean but unsatisfied with her appearance, Dani trudged to the school office to make her excuses.

The secretary at the office did not buy Dani's excuse of sleeping late; in fact, the secretary had information from Veronica that Dani would no longer be attending the school. Dani made a hurried excuse for Veronica's call into the office. The secretary wanted to call Veronica - and did. Whatever Veronica said appeased the secretary, and Dani was allowed to go to class.

"Danica," the secretary said, "perhaps you should visit your school counselor?"

Dani gave the woman a wan smile. "I'll - stop by her office later. Thank you."

Dani trudged down the hallway to her locker and retrieved a spare notebook and pencil. Her textbooks for most of her classes were at her aunt's house. Maybe Marcel wouldn't mind sharing today in study hall.

Everywhere Dani went that day teachers and students gave her a chilly reception. Dani wasn't sure what Jessica had told them - or what the Veronica must have communicated. She didn't even see Jessica that day.

After school was dismissed, Dani hung around to see if Peter or Eddie were there. She waited until the last car pulled away. Neither Peter nor Eddie had appeared.

Dani walked back to the house, nervous of her reception.

When she reached the sidewalk in front of the house, the door opened - as if she had been expected.

Veronica stood on the porch. Hands on hips, head tilted in a look of superiority and defiance.

"What do you want?"

Dani stared up at her aunt with confusion and fear. "I - I came home from school."

"This is _not_ your home," Veronica snapped. "This is _my_ home, and I do not house violent delinquents!"

"I didn't mean to hit her!" Dani defended. "I was just trying to - she wouldn't stop talking! Eddie - he shouldn't have to -"

"Shut up!" Veronica flushed, whether from anger or embarrassment Dani did not know. "If you had never come here - I never should have brought you here. It was out of the goodness of my heart that I did! Look where it got me."

"The goodness of your heart?!" Dani retorted angrily. "Name one _good_ thing you've done for me? Did you buy all the clothes in my room? Did you buy the furniture? Did you buy the school supplies? I've lived like Cinderella in that house!" Dani marched up the steps to the porch. "Fine, if you want me out, I'll go! I've had it with your hospitality! Your sense of guilt - whatever! I am going to collect my possessions and go!"

Veronica spread her arms to bar the door. "I will not let you into this house!"

"Veronica! That's enough!" Jason stepped in behind his wife and glared at her.

The woman turned on her husband and retorted, "No! I already made it clear that I will not let her stay here any longer! It was your idea in the first place! I won't let her stay!"

"Fine!" Jason growled. "But she can get her things. They belong to her, like she says." His eyes focused on Dani. "Come on, get your stuff."

Dani clenched her jaw and nodded. Veronica huffed and stormed away to some other part of the house.

Dani entered. The house was quiet. No one came to greet her. No Eddie with a worried expression or relieved smile. No Jessica with a snide remark or hurtful jeer. Not even Peter with his Nintendo.

She looked up at her uncle with the unasked question. He shook his head and just motioned up the stairs. Dani ascended the stairs to the second floor and from their made her way to the stairway hidden behind the door to the attic.

The room was just as she left it. Veronica had yet to tear it apart or search through it.

Dani picked up her backpack - all her assignments for the school day stuffed inside and incomplete. She turned in a circle to look all around with a sad expression. Her solitude and sanctuary - the space she could call her own since being uprooted - she was going to lose it once more.

The stairs creaked and signaled a person coming up to join her. Dani felt her heart stop as she hoped it was Eddie. Maybe she could run away with him! Adopt him! Maybe -

Jason poked his head around the entrance way and offered an unconvincing smile. "Need help?"

Dani's shoulders slumped in defeat. Her face crumpled.

"No - I'll - I'll pack." She turned away and pulled a beat-up suitcase out from under her bed. She hardly thought she would have to use it - never dreamed she would be leaving this house so soon.

"I can - get you a couple more - if you need it," Jason offered as he shifted from one foot to the other.

Dani shook her head and pulled out the blue duffle bag with her dad's medals and flag stashed safely inside it. She moved to a dresser and began pulling out clothes. She packed what she knew she could carry then began picking over other essentials. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, towel, washcloth, soap, shampoo - where was she even going to bath? The school's locker rooms? Somebody would find out eventually that she was homeless. Report her to child services. What then?

Her eyes tearing up, her gaze landed on the shelf she had made for the stuffed animals that once belonged to Sarah. With trembling hands, she picked up Sir Didymus and hugged him. She felt like she was eight years old - that time she got lost at the store.

"I'm sorry, Dani," Jason spoke quietly from across the room. "I tried to talk to her - reason with her - but -" He left the thought unfinished.

Sniffling, Dani questioned, "What did she mean?"

"What?"

"About - my staying here was your idea?"

Silence stretched between them until Jason sighed once more. "I - your mother was -" He stopped talking again. Slowly he began again. "We all lived in this town you know. Veronica, Chelsea, me - went to the same school. Veronica and your mom went away for college. I stayed in town. I - hoped they would come back - well - your mom really. You see, I liked your mom. Veronica liked me - I suppose that's when the rivalry between them started - in Veronica's mind.

"Veronica came back from college," Jason stated. "Your mom didn't. Chelsea met Grant and they eloped. Ran away together. Lived happily ever after. I proposed to Veronica. She thought she had finally won over Chelsea - but - Veronica was still a little jealous. Your mother was a wild child - had her fun, but always had her own set of rules to live by. She never - never broke them. Was always faithful to your dad. Chelsea could never -" Jason stopped again.

"I'm not - proud of what I did," he murmured. "It's my fault your mom and dad never visited again. They wouldn't step foot in this house even if Veronica had let them. Veronica hated me after - after what happened. She neglected the kids and started going out a lot. She was trying to hurt me the way I almost hurt her and your mother. That's why Eddie - happened."

Dani turned to look at her uncle. He stood looking down at the floor; his hands stuffed into his pants pockets.

"Your mother offered to adopt him - because I didn't want him. I don't know what Veronica wanted. She - she never said."

"Stop," Dani pleaded. "If he hears you -"

"The kids aren't here," Jason explained. "We sent them to my sister's.

"Anyway - Veronica wouldn't hear of letting Chelsea have Eddie. That would be like admitting she had failed in every sense of whatever twisted competition she had with Chelsea. We kept Eddie - as a reminder to me or to Veronica - I don't know.

"When your mom died, I thought I could - my way of apologizing for everything. Take you in and help you." He looked up at her sadly. "Be an uncle to you - family. Now I've failed you and your mom once again. I'm - I'm sorry."

Dani didn't speak. She just looked at the man standing before her and didn't know what to think. So, instead of answering, she merely turned back to the suitcase and began packing it. She set Didymus on top and began picking up a few books. She listened to her uncle's departure - not knowing what he was thinking or what he would do.

She zipped her suitcase shut and looked around the room once more. So much was being left behind. Dani walked around the room one more time, checking to see if she forgot anything. Her gaze fell on the red, bound book _Labyrinth_. Picking it up, she held it between her hands.

She flipped it open near the end - where a gold ribbon held her place. Dani sat on the edge of her bed and read aloud. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to the castle beyond the goblin city to take back the child which you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great! You -"

"Dani!" Jason called up the stairs.

The girl's head lifted and the trance she was in as she read broke once more. She hastily stuffed the book into her backpack and began hoisting her possessions onto her shoulder or off of the bed. She descended the steps and met her uncle at the base of the attic stairs.

He looked her over with worry written on his face. "Do you have everything?"

"Everything I can carry," Dani answered.

"Money?"

"What I have saved up."

Jason pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a couple twenty dollar bills. "I know this isn't much, but it's something."

Dani began to shake her head to refuse, but Jason shoved it toward her anyway. "Please," he begged.

The girl accepted it reluctantly and stuffed the folded bills into her hoodie's pocket.

"What about a place to stay?" He questioned, worry still etched on his face.

Dani worried her lip between her teeth. What should she tell him? That she was either going to sleep in the park tonight or break into the school and live in the hidden room in the library until someone found her? In the end, she opted to say, "Yeah. I'll - I'll stay with some friends."

Jason nodded, not satisfied, but mollified for the moment.

Dani forced a smile. "I better go - before Veronica storms up here or something."

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "I'll - I'll see you to the door."

~*/*\*~

Dani sat on the stone bench in the park and stared at the phone in her hands. She wished Jared would show up - yet she hoped he did not. He worked with kids - kids with problems - did that mean he worked with social services?

She wished she had his phone number.

Dani glanced up at the clock tower. She didn't work today.

She leaned over to grab an apple out of the grocery bag settled beside her. There was no way she was going to get into the school or the secret storage closet in the library tonight. She would just have to wait until tomorrow.

Dani munched on what she had bought from the store, did her homework while the sun was still up. When it went down, she huddled with all of her stuff and kept a small plastic case of pepper spray in her hand so she could fall into a fitful sleep.

~*/*\*~

Dani quickly stowed her suitcase, duffle bag, and groceries into her locker. She eyed the people around her and wondered if anyone had taken notice of her unusual assortment of things. If they did, they did not ask her about it.

Dani sat through classes and tried to stay out of sight. She spotted Jessica during lunch, but neither one bothered to approach the other. Dani was pleased to see the bruise that had swollen part of her cousin's face.

When Dani's study hall hour rolled around, she cautiously made her way to the library to see when she could get her luggage in there and sneak into her secret room. She bypassed the group huddled together to study for upcoming tests or working on homework. Dani approached the forgotten storage closet near the back of the library then stopped.

The potted plant was gone. The shelf was gone. The door - was exposed.

Dani hastily tried jiggling the door handle, but it was locked. A new lock.

"No -" she choked back the panicked tears that threatened to stuff up her throat. Once more, she was without a sanctuary or safe harbor.

~*/*\*~

The bell for school to be over rang throughout the building. Dani collected her school books, suitcase, and duffle bag. She shuffled through the hallway, ignoring the sounds of happy students. They all had homes to go to - friends to spend time with - parents or family that loved them.

She exited the school building and started her way toward the park.

"Dani!"

She turned from staring at the sidewalk to see Eddie making a dash for her. Dani felt a tug on her heart. Turning toward him, she opened her arms for a hug. Eddie slammed into her, causing her to stagger back a step. Dani squeezed his as hard as he was squeezing her and she was certain he was crying into her shirt.

"Why weren't you at home?" He cried.

Dani sank to her knees to look into her cousin's face. "I - your mom -"

"I hate her!" Eddie shouted as he wrapped his arms around Dani's neck. "Why did she send you away? You're family," he ended pitifully - with a whimper.

Dani held him tight. Where was Veronica? Peter? Jessica? They were sure to come drag Eddie away. Or did they not care about him anymore?

"Take me with you," Eddie begged. "I don't wanna go back! They're not my family - you are!"

"Eddie, I can't -"

"You promised!" Eddie backed away. "You said we were family."

Dani wiped away the tears on the boy's face. "Eddie, I know what I promised. We are family - nothing has changed that. But I can't take you with me - legally I can't. I'm not old enough, and I don't have a place to take you to."

"You could someday - couldn't you?" Eddie pleaded.

Dani smiled. "Maybe - I hope so."

"Eddie!" There was Peter - looking for his wayward brother.

With one more hug, the teenager said, "You gotta go now - 'sides, I have to go to work."

"You'll come visit me, right?" Eddie asked as he hugged her tightly.

"Maybe we can hang out at the park," Dani suggested. "Or you can swing by the store - visit me while I work."

"Eddie!"

"You better go," Dani stated as she broke away from the hug. She stood and tousled his hair. "I'll see you soon.

~*/*\*~

Dani hurried into the bookstore and waved to David. "Sorry I'm late! Lemme stash this stuff in the back and I'll be right up front." She ducked toward the back before Sarah's husband could ask questions. Dumping school bag, luggage, and duffle bag into the storage room in the back, she hurried back to the store front and began helping David shelve books.

"Sarah will be back in a few days," David stated. "You'll get a few days off again."

Dani's heart sank. Days off meant no money.

"That's great!" She fibbed, trying to sound upbeat and positive. "Hope her trip was successful."

"From our phone calls it sounds like it has been." David smiled. "So, you going to a slumber party or something?"

"What?"

"All that stuff you brought in with you. Going to a slumber party?"

"Oh that!" Dani turned away and fussed with a couple of books on a shelf. "Yeah," she drawled. "That's right."

"Hope you have fun!" David looked up when the bell over the door chimed. "Mind taking the register?"

"Not at all!" Dani hurried off, thankful that she wouldn't have to lie too much more.

~*/*\*~

Dani returned to the park bench and collapsed. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the bag of cheeseburger and fries that she had bought for her dinner. She unwrapped her meal and scarfed it all down without a second thought.

Homework came next and she finished it with little enthusiasm.

A sigh worked its way from her lips. Dani leaned back against the oak tree and stared up at the clouds. They looked gray, angry, and ready to split.

"Please don't rain," she begged the sky. A rumble of thunder answered her. Fearing the worse, Dani shoved the duffle bag, suitcase, and book bag under the stone bench and covered all of it with her rain jacket. Taking another jacket and pulling it on, she huddled up under what little space was provided by the bench. Opening her umbrella, she covered herself as best she could.

Her arm cushioned her head as she lay on the ground and contemplated what to do next. Her eyes stared unseeing at the rainbow stripes on her umbrella. The patter of raindrops on the umbrella canvas lulled her to sleep, while she shivered as her exposed lower half slowly became drenched.

~*/*\*~

"Hello? Hello? Can I help you?" Dani felt something or someone kick her foot. She mumbled and tried to bury her face into her arms. Something wet hit her face and she looked up in a stupor at whoever was spraying her.

"Wha -?" She so eloquently asked.

"Danica!" A shocked voice rattled her from her sleep and she stared up into the wide-blue and green eyes of Jared.

Dani blinked owlishly and mumbled a confused, "Jared?"

He swore under his breath and dropped both his and her umbrellas. Gripping her upper arm and hauling her to her feet, Jared angrily asked, "What are you doing here?"

Dani began to wake up more as she stared into the hardened face of the man she both longed and dreaded to see. Unsure if the wetness now streaming down her face was rain or tears; she wrapped her arms around Jared for a much needed hug and sobbed the whole story into his chest. He said little, merely soothed her and reassured her.

"I - I have nowhere to go!" Dani hiccupped into his shirt.

"Yes, you do," Jared contradicted. "Come." He shed his coat and draped it over her shoulders before bending to retrieve the umbrellas. Dani stood gripping the hooked handle of her umbrella as she watched mutely as Jared retrieved her belongings from under the bench. As if he knew how much the blue duffle bag meant to her, he allowed her to carry that one bag as he led her from the park.

They made their way to the book store. Dani wondered how he knew where it was, and why he was taking her there of all places. The shop was closed - being after hours. He wandered to the alley and a side door. Dani knew that the side door led to the apartment over the shop where Sarah and David lived.

Jared pressed the buzzer and waited. Dani stood shivering and wondered if Jared knew Sarah and David.

"What are we doing here?" Dani asked.

"Finding you a place to stay," Jared answered.

"No - I couldn't!" Before Dani could voice her objections, the door swung open and there stood Sarah.

Sarah gasped at the sight before her. "Jare-!"

"Sarah, could you please let us in?" Jared interrupted her, a bite to his voice that made Dani flinch."

Sarah looked from Jared to Dani then back again. "Y-yes," she stuttered, "of course." She stepped back into the narrow stairwell to allow access. Sarah looked at Dani with concern and quickly led them both upstairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Again, I'm sorry for the wait. It's been forever since I wrote for either of these fics. = Being my final semester in college, I'm really busy. Consider this a New Year's gift to you all. Thank you for your patience. I may not be updating frequently for some time, I apologize for that.**

**It was pointed out that, in my haste to submit/type the previous chapter I mixed up Jessica and Veronica. My mistake. =/ Eventually I'll go back and revise that chapter.**

**As for this chapter, it may seem hastily done. Again, I am sorry. I want to move the story along and this method seemed to be best - after all, Dani is feeling a bit hurried and disjointed at this time - so writing like that seemed best.**

**Please, feel free to review. I do enjoy reading them! I don't respond as often as I used to, but I do read them. Your comments are appreciated. =)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_We're only taking turns  
>Holding this world<br>It's how it's always been  
>When you're older you will understand<em>

_Trust Me_ by the Fray

~*/*\*~

Dani followed Jared slowly up the stairs that led to Sarah and David's apartment. She felt utterly mortified by this whole thing - and curious. Why had he brought her here? Did he know Sarah and David? Did he know about her job? Of course he did! She'd mentioned it - hadn't she?

They arrived reached another door at the top of the stairs and waited as Sarah opened it to the apartment. The trio entered the warm space. Dani took a moment to look around the living room and kitchen. A hallway led down to where she supposed the bathroom and bedrooms were. The space was inviting and held an eclectic taste of art, knick knacks, and books.

David looked up from the kitchen counter and smiled at Dani but looked curiously at Jared. Sarah walked quickly to her husband's side. "David, we have guests. This is Jar-"

"Jared," the other man interrupted and nodded to David, which earned him a suspicious glare from Sarah. "Nice to meet you, David."

"Likewise," David answered slowly sensing his wife's uncertainty. "Dani, what are you doing here? I thought you were at a slumber party."

Jared glanced down sternly at Dani, and she winced. "Yes, Dani. Please explain to your friends here why you were having a 'slumber party' in the _park_ under a _bench_."

Sarah gasped and hurried to Dani's side. "Dani?"

The teenager avoided her friend's kind eyes. "I - I was - kicked out. Two days ago."

"Why didn't you say something?" David demanded.

"I didn't think you'd care."

"Where did you get that crazy idea?!" Sarah questioned as she gripped Dani's shoulders. "Of course we would! And do!"

"Have you tried going back to your aunts?" David asked as he too joined the group.

Dani glanced at Jared, who seemed to be keeping a distance from the group but watched with silent interest. Returning her gaze to Sarah and David, she answered, "Yes, but Veronica won't let me stay. She only let me come in to get my stuff - and only cause Jason told her to."

"Were you staying in the park this whole time?" The brunette asked worriedly.

Dani shrugged and nodded her head. Where else could she have gone.

"What about family? Is there anyone you could go stay with?"

"No," Dani answered softly.

"Well," David suggested, "you can stay with us - until we can figure something out." He looked down at his wife and nodded.

"No! I couldn't!" Dani protested looking from one adult to the next.

"You can and you will," Sarah asserted. "You can't stay in the park. It's not safe! Now," she glanced at Jared warily as she reached for the suitcases he still held. "Let's get you settled, you can take a shower to warm up. We'll talk once you're done."

Jared handed over the bags but made no comment.

Dani wearily followed, glad someone was helping her but still not wanting to be a nuisance. Sarah led her to what she said was the guest bedroom - usually reserved for her brother when he visited, but he wouldn't be by until after the school year. It was decidedly a boy's room, decorated in masculine tones. Sarah pointed out the bathroom right across the hall from the guestroom and left Dani to settle in.

~*/*\*~

Once Dani was washed, changed, and warm again, she padded down the hallway in her socked feet to the kitchen and living room area. David and Sarah looked up from the kitchen table as she came into view. Dani had the feeling of someone who had been the topic of conversation a few moments before.

Looking around as she joined them at the table, she asked, "Where's Jared?"

Sarah hesitated, but David answered, "He had to leave. He said he just wanted to be sure you were all right and taken care of before he had to head out again."

"How long have you known - Jared?" Sarah asked.

"A couple months," Dani answered. "I met him shortly after I moved to my aunt and uncle's house. How do you know him?"

Sarah looked down at her coffee mug in thought. "I - knew him when I used to live here as a teenager. Didn't think I'd see him again." Returning her focus on Dani, she continued, "He said that - if you needed a new place - if it wouldn't work out here - that I could call." Frowning, Sarah shook her head, "But I'd rather not go down that road again."

"Again?" Dani and David both looked at Sarah curiously.

Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, Sarah took a deep breath. "In any case, David and I have been talking. We're perfectly happy to let you stay here with us for however long you need. You can keep working in the shop - even run it while we're gone."

"Gone?"

"We decided it would be better if we both traveled together," David explained. "That way you can house and shop-sit. It would be extra money for you to do both."

Dani's eyes widened. "You don't have to do that! You shouldn't have to pay me for letting me stay here!"

"You'll need the money," Sarah explained. "If you plan on going to college - besides, staying with us won't be permanent. Maybe your aunt and uncle will let you come back. In the mean time, you will stay here."

Feeling overwhelmed and relieved, Dani swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Okay."

~*/*\*~

Dani sat in her new bed holding onto Didymus and staring quietly down at the book lying before her on the bed. She didn't know where to go from here. Her life and world kept changing. First her dad, then her mom, her home with her aunt and uncle, Eddie – everything seemed to be taken from her in some way.

A knock on the door alerted her that she wasn't alone. She looked up and called, "Come in."

Sarah poked her head in. "Hey, just wanted to check on you before I crashed."

"I'm fine, thanks again," Dani answered.

Sarah smiled and her eyes glanced down at the stuffed toy Dani was holding. A smile lit her face as she entered and joined Dani on the bed. "I see you brought Sir Didymus."

"I – I couldn't leave him there," Dani explained sheepishly. "Sorry I couldn't bring the rest with me. I honestly hope they don't get thrown out."

Sarah shook her head. "I thought they already had been, but I'm glad this noble knight was able to accompany you. Jared – he would probably have felt better knowing Didymus was with you."

Dani tilted her head. "Did – Jared give Didymus to you?"

"I – I don't know, honestly." Sarah frowned as she looked at the swashbuckling terrier. "I got a lot of presents growing up. I always thought my mom got them for me."

"Didn't he tell you?"

Sarah sighed and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "No. He didn't. I know he did a lot for me back then, but I don't know what _all_ he did."

"You don't like him – do you."

Sarah looked over at Dani sadly. "Not particularly. I used to hate him. I got over it – with age. I certainly did _not_ expect to see him with you today. Or ever again for that matter."

"He must still really like you to have brought me here," Dani fished.

"Well, he knows now that that ship has sailed. I'm happily married." Sarah chuckled.

"Did you love him?"

"I had a crush," Sarah acknowledged, "but nothing more. Now, off the subject of _me_." She gave Dani a level and searching look. "I should warn you to stay away from him. I should be telling you that he's not good news. But –"

"But – what?" Dani asked, feeling a bit defensive. Jared had been nothing but kind to her.

Sarah continued to search Dani's face but sighed after a few minutes and looked away. "You're eyes remind me of his," she muttered to herself. "But," she answered, "I don't think he'll intentionally hurt you like he did me – I think he's grown up." Standing with a groan, Sarah said, "Well, I'm tired. I need to get rid of this jetlag. You have school tomorrow, so don't stay up too long."

Dani settled down in the bed and turned off her bedside lamp as Sarah left and shut the door. She turned and looked out the window, hoping that maybe her owl friend may be nearby. Exhausted, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep to a tune she had never heard before and was lost in the images of people dancing in ball gowns and masques.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Heard about a place today  
>Where nothing never hurts again<br>Daddy, daddy, get me out of here  
>I, I'm underground<em>

~ _Underground_ by David Bowie

~*/*\*~

Dani sneezed again and moaned miserably. She did not want to be sick! Her head was pounding and she couldn't help but sniffle and cough. With another moan, she sat up and tossed the blankets off her legs. The room swam before her and she did everything she could to avoid collapsing back onto the futon-bed. Taking a few deep breathes helped her regain her orientation and with a cautious push, she stood to her feet.

The girl shuffled about the room and gathered her clothes and shower items. Maybe a shower would help clear her head. Dani left her room and smiled wistfully at the sound of Sarah laughing and talking with David as well as at the smell of breakfast. Her mom used to get up this early to make breakfast before Dani left for school.

After a shower that was longer than Dani was used to - with no competition from her cousins - she exited and quickly dressed for the day. She still felt dizzy, but not as bad as before. Dani tossed her pajamas into the guest bedroom and made her way down the hallway to the living room and kitchen area.

Sarah looked up from the stove, David was no longer there. "Morning, Dani!"

"Morning," Dani rasped and winced internally at the sound of her own voice. "Where's David?"

The older woman gave Dani a concerned glance as she dished out scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a grape fruit. "He's downstairs in the shop. He already ate and he wanted to shelve some of our new merchandise. You okay? You sound like you've got a cold."

"Probably just allergies," Dani offered as she took a sip of the juice in her cup. Suddenly, the food that smelled so good made her stomach flip-flop uncomfortably. She longingly eyed the eggs, but settled on nibbling the toast while Sarah's back was turned.

"Well, if you need cough drops or allergy medicine, we have some. David gets knocked through a loop when allergy season hits. Coffee?"

"No, thanks," Dani answered as she hesitantly ate the bacon next. Her mouth felt really dry and even though she had brushed her teeth, her mouth tasted funny. She groaned to herself, she was _not_ going to throw-up! The symptoms were there, but she could avoid it - of course she could! She needed to eat, that's all. Picking up the fork with a shaking hand, she stabbed some of the fluffy eggs and lifted the fork to her lips. Sarah was chatting away about the store and some other innocuous things when Dani felt the uncomfortable feeling of something coming back up again.

With a grunt of panic, Dani covered her mouth and made a dash back down the hallway to the bathroom. Before she knew it, she was hunched over the toilet and emptying the little contents in her stomach from dinner the night before and breakfast that morning. When that was gone, she dry heaved for a few moments before sinking down and letting herself relax.

The gentle touch of a hand on her back made her flinch. Dani looked up into the worried gaze of two, kind eyes. Sarah shook her head. "Allergies? Dani, why didn't you tell me you were feeling so bad?"

"Have to go to school," Dani answered wearily.

Sarah reached over to flush the contents of the toilet and helped Dani stand to her feet. "You can't go when you're throwing up."

"It was just a one-time thing!"

Sarah gave the teenage girl a look of skeptic disbelief. "Temperature, sit." Dani grudgingly shut the toilet lid down and sat on it while Sarah hunted for a thermometer. After allowing Dani to swig some water and Listerine around and spit it into the sink, Sarah made the girl tuck the thermometer under her tongue.

After a few silent minutes the thing beeped. Sarah glanced at the number and shook her head. "That settles it, you're not going. Go climb back into bed, and I'll go call the school."

"No!" Dani interjected as she was half-standing. "I'll call. They'll want to know why my aunt isn't the one calling if you do."

"Dani, the school is bound to find out eventually that you're not staying with your relatives -"

"I don't want to be taken away," Dani explained. "I need to stay here - for Eddie."

Sarah searched Dani's face for a moment or two before sighing in defeat. "Fine, go ahead and call. I'm going down to the shop to let David know he won't be seeing you in the shop later today. I have some shopping to do - think you'll be okay by yourself for a few hours?"

Dani nodded her head but only a few shakes since it made her head swim again. Sarah shuffled the teenager back into the guest room and disappeared down to the shop. Dani took out her track phone and stared for several long minutes at it.

Sure she was feeling sick - but she could _not_ miss school! She had never missed a day of school in her life outside of the days after her parents' deaths. Dani bit her lip with indecision. She had promised her dad to finish school and go to college - not drop out like he had. It was so important to him. Education had been important to both of her parents. She couldn't just not go to school. Even a few missed days hurt her when she remembered the promise she had made to her dad. Especially when she was trying to stop skipping classes - she had been convicted about hiding in the library anyway.

Dani took a deep breath and let it out. She would wait until Sarah left, then go to school. If Sarah came back before the school day was over - or if David came to check on her - she'd explain later that she was feeling much better. It wasn't like they could really punish her for going to school.

Dani crawled back under the covers and tugged the blankets up to her chin so no one would see that she hadn't changed out of her school clothes. Sarah came back to the apartment shortly after and stopped in the room to check on the teenager.

"David said he'd come up to check on you at lunch time, but you might not see him if there are customers," Sarah explained. "I hate to leave you while you're sick, but I do have some important errands. You'll be all right?"

"Yeah," Dani promised. "I'll probably sleep most of the time."

"Okay. You called the school?"

Dani nodded instead of verbally responding.

Sarah sighed and turned to leave. "You have my number - and the shop's. Call either David or me if something comes up. Help yourself to food if you feel up to it. Do you want anything before I leave?"

Again, Dani shook her head. Hoping that Sarah would just leave. With a final farewell, the brunette did leave. Dani lay for several minutes, wondering how much time to give Sarah before the coast was clear.

With a glance at the digital clock on the nightstand, Dani decided she had waited long enough. She hastily kicked her legs free of the blankets and snatched up her backpack from where it rested. Ignoring the swimming of her vision and her pounding head, Dani left the bedroom. She wrote a note to David for when he was going to check on her, saying she was feeling much better and had gone to school and not to worry.

Dani hurried down the stairs and exited the building. With a cautious glance into the shop window, she saw that David was not at the front of the shop and had his back to her. Without wasting any more time, she walked quickly on her way to school.

~*/*\*~

Dani all but collapsed in her desk with a minute to spare. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and was resentful for the first time the fact that she was sitting so far away from the door. Even if she needed to bolt for the restroom, she would not be able to get away from the teachers' and their ever judging looks and thoughts. They would assume she was faking her sickness - or something.

She needed to make it through the day. It was - what - a Friday? She could be sick for the rest of the weekend. If she was lucky this would only be the twenty-four hour flu.

Shaking her thoughts clear from the muddiness of her headache, Dani opened her notebook and struggled to write straight and clear, but she could already see that her notes were going to be slanting and illegible at best. Maybe Marcel would be able to give Dani a copy of the notes later.

Dani made it through her morning classes, but most of the classes blurred together into nothingness. She couldn't remember what the teachers had said. Thankfully no one had harassed her - or given her a hard time in the halls or classes. Dani winced at the thought of quizzes she may have had. She couldn't imagine what her grades were going to be on them. The teenager was thankful at least that she didn't have to take a test today.

She shuffled through the lunch line and picked foods she hoped would stay down. The way her stomach was somersaulting didn't encourage her too much that her hope would come true. Dani paid for the meager lunch and walked blindly to an empty table. She didn't care who it "belonged" to. She just needed to rest for a few minutes. If she couldn't eat she would go to the library - maybe that would help.

"Dani?" The girl in question looked up in a state of confusion. Who was speaking to her? Sophie stood with her tray in hand and a look of concern on her face. "Dani, are you okay?"

Dani blinked owlishly and shrugged. "Yeah. Fine."

Sophie glanced around as if searching for someone - or checking to see if it was all right for her to be speaking to the girl branded as an outcast. "You," she said, "look sick. Are you sure you're okay? I heard you're -"

Sophie stopped abruptly and looked self conscious. Dani simply stared, which seemed to unnerve Sophie even more. Dani didn't know what the other girl could possibly be avoiding. People had said so much already that it seemed that nothing could be difficult to outright say.

"Heard what?" Dani finally snapped, irritable and tired. She just wanted to slink back to Sarah and David's.

"That you've been kicked out," Charlotte supplied as she walked up from behind Sophie. The bubbly girl jumped and looked away from her younger friend. Charlotte set down her tray on the table and sat without preamble. "That true?"

Dani watched with growing confusion when Sophie set her own tray down and sat gingerly - as if sitting at the same table as Dani would cause it to explode.

"Yeah," Dani answered slowly.

"And did you really slap Jessica?" Charlotte prodded with a sense of intrigue.

Dani shrugged. "Yeah."

The other two girls gasped and looked back at her with shock. Dani would have laughed had she hadn't felt like she would have started coughing or gagging. Instead, she gave them both a wry smile and sipped at the bottle of water.

"_You_ slapped Jessica Drake?" Dani turned to look over her shoulder at the new speaker. Some guy she didn't know. The whole table he was sitting at was staring at Dani as if she had grown a new head.

"You believe I put my house on fire," Dani accused, "cause Jessica said so. Why is it so hard to believe I sucker punched her?"

"I thought you said you slapped her!" Sophie inserted. No one seemed to be denying the fact that they had believed Jessica's rumors. Oh well, teenagers would believe just about anything.

"Well, I _did_ punch her. Did Jessica say I punched or slapped her?"

"Would make more sense if you had punched her," another person said. "Based on the size of her bruise."

More and more students sitting around her began peppering her with questions about the why and method of her punch. No one seemed concerned about where she was staying. Dani remained firmly mute about the conversation that led to her assault on Jessica's person, but she was oddly amused by the fact that the tide of feelings toward her had changed - simply because she had stood up to her cousin.

The bell for lunch's end rang and brought an end to Dani's sudden popularity. People waved to her and smiled. If she didn't know any better, Dani would say she was starting to be accepted. A little bit too late she felt. It didn't matter how many friends she made now, she had really no place to call home.

Dani felt emotionally drained from the unusual amount of social activity she had participated in, but to her relief, Charlotte seemed to take on a protective bodyguard-like stance. The girl followed Dani to their next class and, since it was open seating, Charlotte sat down and beckoned another student to sit with them. Dani was quickly sequestered in a group of students she barely knew.

Jessica entered the class, glanced in Dani's direction and froze. Dani met her cousin's gaze with one of her own steady glares. Sick or not, Dani wanted to instill that same unease her mismatched gaze always seemed to do. Her cousin lifted her head in a defiant tilt of her chin. With a flick of her hair over her shoulder, Jessica stalked off to her own seat. She sat in a huff and looked around threateningly and irritably.

Dani felt herself sink back into her seat with relief. She could use the reprieve from Jessica's taunts. Class started and Dani couldn't remember the last time she enjoyed a class more.

The end of the day allowed Dani to relax for the first time in a long while. She had made it through the day with little trouble. Her head still throbbed and she still felt a bit shaky, but her food had remained in her stomach. The much awaited weekend made her feel even better. Dani knew she would be in trouble when Sarah got back to the apartment, but at least something good had come from this eventful day.

Shouldering her backpack, Dani stood up from her locker. Looking around, she spotted Drew, Jessica, and the group of people Dani vaguely recognized from the winter dance. They stood a few feet down the hall looking at Dani with open contempt.

She glared back at them. The sounds and sights of everyone else around her seemed to blur into white noise and moving colors. Dani dipped her head a bit, her eyes never leaving Jessica's. With a familiar quirk of her eyebrow, she challenged them. So what if she had been surrounded by people all day? What was it to these idiots?

Jessica's eyes narrowed angrily. She turned to say something to her group, and they nodded and chuckled darkly in return.

Dani didn't care. Her challenge had been issued. Her life had been ruined by this group before. What more could they do? Without so much as a backward glance, she turned on her heels and disappeared into the moving crowd of students getting there things together to leave.

She exited the school building and felt a wave of comfort as the wind rustled through her hair. Dani smiled and walked in the direction of the park.

"Dani!" Eddie's familiar shout caught her attention. Dani turned to look at him. "Dani, I get to walk home today!" He announced cheerfully. "I can walk with you!"

"Eddie! Wait up!" Dani looked over Eddie's head to see Peter jogging after his younger brother.

"Are you sure that'll be okay with Peter and Jessica?" Dani asked cautiously. After her challenge to Jessica, would it be wise for them to walk together? She didn't want to get into another fight - especially in front of Eddie.

"I don't care what they think," Eddie asserted. "You never did. 'Sides, you're my family. Not them." He scowled and scuffed his shoe against the sidewalk. "Everyone ignores me now at home. Peter has been meaner too. He keeps threatening goblins and Mom doesn't even scold him for it anymore. Dad - he - "

The unspoken truth that her uncle had completely withdrawn from the son he had tried so hard to accept but couldn't broke Dani's heart. "Come on," Dani offered her hand. "Let's go see if the ice cream cart has started making rounds through the park yet."

"Eddie! Peter!" Jessica called from behind them, but the group didn't heed her. Peter fell in behind Eddie and Dani with an uneasy silence. Dani glanced over her shoulder briefly at her other cousin. He wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Want ice cream, Peter?"

He remained silent for several minutes before reluctantly saying, "Yeah."

"Okay, then." Dani focused on the sidewalk ahead of her. She knew she wouldn't be able to eat any of the ice cream herself, and even though she desperately wanted to go back to Sarah's and go to bed, Dani knew that the boys needed this more than anything else.

"Just like that?" Peter asked incredulously. "Not gonna scold me for how I've been to Eddie? Not be mean to me like Mom and Jessica have been mean to you?"

"Nope," Dani answered. "You don't need it, do you?"

Peter's gate hurried so he was standing on the other side of Dani. Using her as a human shield, he grumbled, "Sorry, Eddie."

Eddie nodded, but made no verbal answer. Dani sighed inwardly. Well, it was a step in the right direction she guessed.

Dani struck up a conversation with the boys about school and their visit to their aunts. Her throat was grateful for the respite as the boys chatted away about anything and everything that didn't include Veronica, Jessica, or Jason. She still felt a bit queasy and dizzy, but it wasn't so bad.

As they trekked through the park, Peter heard the jingle of the ice cream cart's bell. "I hear it! Race you, Eddie!" Peter lit off in the direction of the ice cream cart.

"No fair!" Eddie protested as he too made to run off.

"Dani!" The girl turned to see Jessica and her group several feet behind - in a car that must have belonged to Drew. Jessica and some of the guys hopped out of the car and strode quickly toward her.

Dani grimaced and turned to face her cousin. Arms dangling by her side, Dani prepared herself for whatever was to come.

Jessica glanced at Eddie, who was standing cautiously behind Dani, and frowned. "Trying to kidnap my brothers?"

"They said they were walking home," Dani answered easily. "I was heading the same way on my way to work. I said I'd buy ice cream."

"Sure you did," Jessica scoffed. "Eddie, go get Peter and get in Drew's car."

"Mom didn't want us riding home with Drew," Eddie countered. "She said walk home."

"Shut up and do as you're told!" Jessica snapped.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Dani shot back.

"He's my brother, and I can talk to him any way I want!"

"You're not my sister!" Eddie yelled at her. "Dani's more my sister than you ever were!"

Jessica thrust a manicured nail in Dani's face. "So you think you can steal my brothers, dad, and friends? You little witch!"

"I'm not stealing anyone, Jessica," Dani retorted. "What's this tirade about?"

"As if you didn't know," Jessica huffed. "You watch yourself, Danica! Don't think that just because you've had your day in the spotlight means anything."

Dani rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it!" Stepping back, Dani held out her hand for Eddie, "Come on, Eddie. Let's go get that ice cream."

"Eddie! You get in that car this minute!" Jessica ordered.

"No!" Eddie stuck his tongue out at his sister and took Dani's hand.

With a swift step forward, Jessica gripped Eddie's shoulder and jerked him away from the dark haired girl. "Say that one more time and I'll make you regret it!"

Dani reached out to rescue the boy who was now crying in pain at his sister's harsh grip and words. "Leave him alone!"

"Come on, Jessica," one of the guys offered nervously. "He's just a bratty little brother. My brother doesn't listen to me either."

"Shut up," Jessica shot back at him. "Peter! Come on!" She hollered in the direction the boy had left. Her glare caused Dani to pause.

With a jerk, Eddie slipped from Jessica's hands as his shirt ripped at the shoulder. He ran into Dani's outstretched arms and sobbed into her abdomen. Dani's stomach churned now from anger at her cousin's fear and pain. Her eyes turned icy.

"How dare you," Dani hissed as the sun disappeared behind a gray cloud and thunder rumbled.

"Eddie," Jessica warned, "get over here."

"Jessica!" One of the girls from the car shouted, "It's going to rain! Come on, let's go!"

"Now, Eddie!"

"No!"

"Eddie, get over here or I'll send the goblins after you!"

Dani felt Eddie shudder in fear and grip onto her tighter. Thunder rumbled again and the clouds flashed with lightning rippling within the darkening clouds.

"Stop bullying him, Jessica!" Dani snapped. "You know he's afraid of goblins!"

"And you're not?" Jessica scoffed with a cruel twist of her lips. "Don't think I didn't see you reading that book and the look on your face when you read it. You're just as much a baby as he is!"

Dani paled. She knew what part of the book Jessica reference. She couldn't explain it, but every time she read it, she couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear run through her. The goblins chasing the princess as she ran through the Goblin King's labyrinth in search of her doomed brother. The gruesome details of gnashing teeth, snatching claws, and warty skin haunted her dreams. There was always fire too. Fire and smoke and laughing creatures.

"I even read your stupid book to find out what scared you so much about it," Jessica quipped. "You're such a baby. For all your tough-girl crap. So give me back my brother right now, or else I'll say the words."

A gust of wind buffeted them. The tree branches whipped around in a frenzy showing the coward-green bellies of the dark leaves. It sounded like the hum angry bees and wasps.

Dani's mouth felt dry. Her head was pounding. Did everything always look so foggy?

"No," Dani answered. She didn't know what she was saying 'no' to. No, she wouldn't give Eddie over? Or no don't say the words? No, she couldn't believe Jessica would threaten such a thing? No, the words won't work? Why did she fear them if they wouldn't work?

"Eddie," Jessica hissed dangerously, giving him a chance to leave Dani's side.

He merely clutched onto Dani tighter and shook his head once.

Jessica pinned Dani with such a hate-filled glare. "Fine," she spat. "I wish -"

The winds stopped. It got darker, but the thunder stopped. Everything seemed to stop as if the world had been paused. As if the words were pulled from her, as if she couldn't have stopped even if she had wanted to, Jessica said, "I wish the goblins would take you away."

"Look out!" Someone shouted as a bolt of lightning struck a tree, just some feet from where they all stood. A high pitched creaking noise filled the air. As if in slow motion, the tree began tilting forward.

Eddie felt himself propelled away from Dani and he shouted in shock. When he landed, it felt like the ground shook beneath him. With a shake of his head, he looked up to see the tree had fallen and he had been pushed away from the giant collision. Jessica and her group stood or sprawled on the other side of the tree with mouths hanging open in complete shock. Fearfully, Eddie looked to where he had seen Dani. She stood, unharmed, but was swaying on her feet.

Dazed and suddenly delirious with fever, Dani muttered, "No," and began falling as well.

Eddie's eyes widened and he stood to run to her.

Dani felt like she was floating, her eyes half-open. What was happening to her? She heard her name - panic laced the one who called for her. Other shouts were muffled and mingled in with that one call. Tires screeched somewhere. Jessica was shouting too - at least Dani thought so. Was she free falling down a hole? How long would it take for her body to hit the grass?

With a body-jerking halt, Dani felt strong arms wrap around her torso. Her head lolled back and she hung like a ragdoll. She could see the sky and the grass and trees. She would be lying flat if she had landed on the ground - wouldn't she?

Still suspended in the air, she felt one of the arms snake its way away from its hold. A comforting hand cradled the back of her head and lifted it. Everything swam again in a disconcerting manner. Would her world never return from this Impressionist painting version?

"Danica?" A warm, rich voice broke through the muffled sounds. Or had it been silent?

Blinking in an attempt to focus again, Dani felt her eyebrows pucker in confusion. "Jared?" Her eyes centered on the mis-matching gaze looking down at her with all the concern a person could posses.

"You foolish, lonely girl," he sighed.

Tears stung her eyes at his words. Was he disappointed in her? She had tried so hard! It was just too difficult. "I'm sorry!" Dani sobbed and felt her hand rise to grip his shirt. It was nothing like the buttoned-up suit shirts or suit jackets. The material was different - unfamiliar.

"I'm sorry," Dani repeated weakly. "I - I had to go to school! Daddy made me promise! I - I - couldn't disappoint him!"

"Shshsh," Jared soothed as he tucked her head under his chin. "You've not disappointed anyone, rest now. All will be well."

Dani felt him release his gentle hold of her head and she tilted her head away from his neck to look at him once more. An apologetic look crossed his eyes before she noticed his gloved hand was covered in a thin layer of glitter. He blew it into her face, which caused her to sneeze once before she felt her eyelids droop shut, and Dani fell into a comforting slumber.

~*/*\*~

Eddie stared in shock as the man with crazy hair and weird clothes held Dani and spoke with her. When the man gently laid her down on the ground and whispered a word he had never heard before, Dani disappeared into thin air.

"Dani!" Eddie shouted in alarm.

The man stood slowly, but looked up at Eddie with a cool gaze. The boy felt tears sting his eyes and his tiny hands clench into fists. Gritting his teeth, the boy demanded, "Where's Dani?"

"I sent her somewhere safe," the man answered bluntly. "I sent her where she was wished."

Eddie felt his bravado leave him. Staring up at the man that towered over him, the boy asked, "You're a goblin?"

The man grinned toothily. "I am the Goblin _King_."

"E-Eddie -"

Boy and king turned to focus on Jessica, who was cowering before the man that had turned into a man from an owl, which had attacked her moments before and sent her friends running, and who had also just magicked her cousin away and speaking to her brother.

The man tilted his head up so he could glower down his nose at the girl. "So, _you_ are the one who wished away your dear cousin."

Jessica yelped and took a step back. "I - I didn't think it would _work_!"

"You should really be more careful about what you wish for," the man scolded mockingly. "You just might get it."

"Bring her back!" Eddie piped up, gaining the attention of both the Goblin King and Jessica. Even though he quaked, he stood as tall as his small stature would allow. "Bring her back now!"

"I cannot," the king answered. "She rightfully belongs to me, now. She was not wanted in this realm, so she must remain in mine. If you want her back," he glanced back at Jessica with such a steely gaze, the teenager felt sure he could kill with it. "If you want her back," he continued, "the one who wished her away must try to win her back."

Eddie looked imploringly at his sister. "Jessica! You have to get Dani back!"

Jessica shook her head disbelievingly. This couldn't possibly be happening!

In a panic, Eddie looked back at the tall man with strange hair, outfit, and accent. "I'll do it! Please!"

"I am sorry," the man refused, "but you did not wish her away. You cannot run the Labyrinth in your sister's stead." He looked once more at Jessica. "After all, why would your sister want to go after Danica? Danica has ruined Jessica's life - hasn't she?"

"No!" Eddie protested.

"Why go after a girl who has done nothing but make your life miserable?" The man asked conversationally. "Forget about your cousin."

"But she hasn't ruined _anything_!" Eddie countered.

"If I don't do it," Jessica spoke up, "no one will know? No one will know what I did?"

The Goblin King, who had never once looked away from Jessica even when Eddie spoke, shook his head. "No one will know."

"Then take me too!" Eddie shouted, tears running down his face. "If I can't have Dani back, then take me too!"

As if a cold bucket of water had been dumped on her head, Jessica gasped. "No, Eddie!"

"Why not?" The boy challenged. "I'm not wanted here anyway!" He looked up at the man, who was now giving Eddie a strange look. "I want to be with Dani. Please," he whimpered as he looked down at his shoes. "She's all the family I have."

"I cannot simply take people," the Goblin King explained in a firm tone. "They must be wished away."

With a shudder, Eddie said, "Then - then I guess -" taking a deep breath for courage, he said, "I wish the goblins - would take me away too."

"No, Eddie!" Jessica shrieked in horror. Looking up at the man who was now taking Eddie's hand in his gloved one, Jessica asserted, "He doesn't know what he's doing! He didn't mean it!"

"What's said is said," the man replied coldly.

"I'll win him back," Jessica begged. "I'll do whatever you want me to do to get Eddie back!"

"You won't rescue Dani, but you'll do it for me?" Eddie demanded bitterly. "I don't want you to! Do it for Dani _and_ me or not at all!"

"You can't retrieve your brother," the man added, "because you did not wish him away." With a nonchalant air, he said, "Why would you want him back anyway? Was he not a nuisance as much as Danica?"

Jessica worried her lip between her teeth. "No one would know? No one would remember?"

"No," the Goblin King assured.

"Okay," Jessica relented with a defeated air. "As long as no one remembers."

With a flick of his wrist, a glass ball appeared in his hand. Eddie stared at it in wonder, curious how the man had done it. The Goblin King blew on it like it was a soap bubble. It went floating toward Jessica.

The teenager backed away uncertainly.

"It's a gift," the man explained evenly. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Like a moth drawn to the flames, Jessica reached out a shaky hand to touch the ball. It burst and showered her with a sticky substance. With a startled gasp, she shrank away. Eddie watched as her eyes faded to a dull, zombie-like stare. Without so much as another look or word, Jessica turned and ran.

When she was gone from view, the clouds opened up and released the pent up rain.

Eddie stood beside the Goblin King, not getting soaked by the deluge. He looked up at the curious man and asked, "Will she - really not remember? Will no one remember us?"

"I did not say," the man explained, "that no one would remember. I merely agreed to the fact that no one would _know_. Jessica will. She will remember and know for many many years to come, and I hope it will make her regret the life she has chosen."

Eddie looked somberly after his sister.

"Come," said the man. "We must go to Danica."

"Where are we going?"

The man smiled again. "To the Underground."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Heard about a place today_

_Nothing never hurts again_

_Daddy, daddy get me out of here_

_I'm, I'm underground_

~*/*\*~

Everything felt - weird. That was all she knew could think of to describe the state she was in at the moment. Her head was swimming, but it also felt like she was floating. Dani moaned and rolled over. She clutched the pillow her head rested on and took a deep breath in before sighing with contentment.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. When did she get back to Sarah's? Blinking her eyes revealed that she was _not_ in the guest room at Sarah's apartment. Dani frowned and sat up to look around - bewildered by what she saw.

The room looked like one from a medieval castle. Stone walls and draperies - the shape of the windows and a balcony that just screamed _Romeo and Juliet_. The bed she sat on was a canopy bed - almost fairy-tale-like in the way the wood was carved. The color of the sheets and blankets were a soft blue, like the color of the sky on a cloudless day.

A knock at the wooden door alerted her. Dani wondered whether this was a dream or if it was real. The last thing she remembered was the park, the boys, Jessica - the wish -

The door opened and Jared entered hesitantly. He looked different though. His normally well groomed hair was now sticking up like he was a rock star, and his eyes looked so much like the stage makeup from a production of _A Midsummer's Night_. He was dressed in really tight pants that made her blush and look anywhere _but_ down. The poet-style shirt was open at the chest and an odd, crescent shaped pendant hung from his neck.

"Jared?" Dani frowned curiously. "Okay, now I know I'm dreaming!"

"I am afraid not, Danica," the man informed her. "And I must apologize, but I have deceived you. My name," he introduced himself with a nod of his head, "is Jareth, king of the goblins."

Dani shook her head. "Dreaming. Totally dreaming! I have a fever, and I've gone on a trip to Oz!"

Jared-now-Jareth approached her and, with a flick of his wrist, offered her a crystal ball. "Look into this, Danica," he ordered quietly. "This will help."

Dani took the ball. Why not? This whole thing was a dream anyway. She looked at it and frowned, her mind clearing and no longer feeling weird. She saw lots of things when she looked into it. Conversations had with an owl that watched her from a tree outside her attic bedroom, a conversation had between Sarah and Jared - whom Sarah kept calling Jareth. So many other things and instances appeared in the crystal, that Dani couldn't quite comprehend all of them, but somehow knew to be true.

She looked up at Jareth, accepting all of this to be real, and hesitantly asked, "Jareth?"

He smiled sadly and stretched out his hands as if to say 'ta-da' and said instead, "At your service."

Dani stared at him, still trying to wrap her mind around what had happened. "Then, that book -?"

"A somewhat historical account of an ancestor of mine," Jareth explained as he pulled a cushioned chair closer to the bed and sat on the seat. "There are many stories of my people in your world - the Aboveground - as we call it now. I believe a few of your Shakespeare's works talk about us. A king of ours from many centuries ago - Auberon and his court. I knew Puck."

"You knew - wait - what?" Dani flustered curiously. "How old does that make you?"

"My people don't age the way you mortals do," Jareth explained slowly. "In your mind, I would be - many centuries old. To my people, I am about twenty or thirty - think of a cat I suppose."

Dani wrinkled her forehead in thought. "So - what exactly are you? Like a fairy or an elf?"

"Nothing so nonsensical as that," he chuckled. "We prefer the old terms such as fae or seelie."

The teenage girl shook her head in wonder. Suddenly, she straightened and looked at Jareth with a worried look. "You're not - going to turn me into a goblin are you?"

He threw his head back and laughed. Dani would have felt offended, but she couldn't really bring herself to feel anything. When Jareth settled down to an occasional chuckle, he answered, "No, that was how my ancestors used to deal with people they kidnapped, but I have so many goblin subjects, I don't need anymore. No, sometime in the last two centuries, we returned to the old ways. Stolen or rescued mortal children are adopted by a fae family that cannot have their own children. We call you Changelings."

"I don't want to be adopted," Dani protested, "I'd be considered an independent adult soon if I was still - back there." She wasn't sure if she should address her "home" as the Aboveground or something else.

Jareth nodded. "I understand, but you may want to reconsider." He turned toward the door, which he hadn't shut when he entered the room. Dani's eyes followed his and saw Eddie standing there.

She felt relief and worry when she saw him. What was he doing here? She didn't remember Jessica wishing him away. What happened?

Dani held out her arms for her cousin, a smile on her face. He joyfully ran and jumped up on the bed. Without needing to be asked, he began telling her what happened. "I wished myself away!" Eddie leaned his head back to look up at Dani as he explained, "Jessica wouldn't do whatever Jareth said she had to do to get you back, so I wished myself away. I didn't want you to be gone. You're my family!"

"Eddie," Dani murmured in surprise. She looked up at Jareth, who was watching the scene without allowing his own thoughts to show through.

"He is still too young, Danica," Jareth stated. "And you would not be allowed to keep him with you unless," he held up a hand to stem the protests from the pair so he could finish, "unless you, Danica, agree to become the ward of the family in which I place Eddie."

"What does that mean?" Dani asked hesitantly.

"It means," The Goblin King continued, "that you will not be adopted, but you will have a place to live and someone to look after you and your affairs until the time comes that you - choose a husband. Eddie would be with you and for all intents and purposes, your brother."

"Couldn't I be a ward too?" Eddie asked. "I don't want another family. I just want Dani."

Jareth looked at Eddie. "She will always be your family, but she cannot look after you. She herself is still too young for that sort of responsibility. I am not saying she is incapable, but if we could give her the opportunity to grow up the way she always deserved, don't you think that would be better, Eddie?"

The boy sat quietly as he thought about this.

"Besides," Jareth continued, "I can guarantee that man and woman I place you with are very kind and would love you both."

Dani looked at her cousin and thought about her options. She could stay with Eddie, live with complete strangers, and wait until she was old enough to strike out on her own. Or, she could strike out on her own now and possibly never see Eddie again while he lived with complete strangers. The first option seemed more appealing.

"Will I see you again?" Dani asked, startling the man sitting before them.

"Beg pardon?"

"Will I see you again," Dani repeated. "I've never been very good at making friends, and so far you're the only one I know here."

Jareth chuckled. "If only you knew," he murmured to himself. In a louder voice he continued, "I am never one to miss events and we faes do enjoy a good party. Also, it is my duty to check in on the wished away children from time to time, so I will most certainly will come pester you and steal your books, if," he added, "that is what you wish."

"Can I visit Sarah?" Dani asked.

She watched the man's amused expression fall back into his mask of silence. Jareth looked away and sighed heavily. "I am afraid you can never return to the Aboveground once you've been wished away." He looked up at her and with a sad expression said, "And I am afraid Sarah can never return to the Underground again."

"Again?" Dani questioned.

"She's been here before?" Eddie interjected for her.

Jareth nodded. "A long time ago. Some of my subjects still visit her when she is alone."

"That's not fair," Dani whispered as she hugged Eddie.

A smile quirked the corners of his mouth, but Jareth refrained from commenting. "I can inform her of the circumstances and reassure her that you both are safe," Jareth offered. "She may not be pleased with me though," he added as an afterthought and ran a gloved hand through his wild hair.

"I guess that's better than nothing," Dani agreed. "We could even write letters to her, let her know from us that we're all right."

Jareth smiled again and nodded. "Yes, that should be fine."

~*/*\*~

Sarah paced the living room space and clutched her cell phone in her hand. "Call! Why won't somebody call me!"

A knock at her door made her jump. She hastened to the stairway that would lead down to the door. Was it Dani? No, she had keys. So did David - unless something had prevented the two from using their keys? A policeman? That thought sent her stomach plummeting.

Shakily, she unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the last person on Earth that she expected to see again. But in the back of her mind she knew she should have known.

"What have you done with her, Jareth?" Sarah demanded heatedly. "Where's Dani? And Eddie?"

"Danica was wished away," Jareth explained. He was wearing his own clothes this time. He knew Sarah's husband wasn't home and would most likely not interrupt their conversation. "Could I please come in?"

Sarah fumed, but stepped aside to let him into her home. Once she had shut the door again, she stormed up the stairs after the Goblin King. "What do you mean she was wished away? You mean she didn't do the wishing?" Sarah asked. "And who knew the words? That book was - I thought I'd lost it!"

"I'm surprised you assumed it was Danica who wished herself away. Or perhaps," he continued icily, "you assumed she wished Eddie away, and she is currently running the Labyrinth." Jareth shook his head and looked at her imperiously. "Really, Sarah, I am surprised that you think so little of Danica."

"I didn't mean - stop doing that!" Sarah protested angrily. "I didn't think she would wish Eddie away at all! Of course I thought she wished herself away. After all the stuff she's been through -"

Jareth waved off her arguments and continued speaking. "As for the book, it was among those items in the attic which you allowed Danica to keep. Her cousin, Jessica, was the one who wished Danica away. Eddie just decided to wish himself away."

"Is Jessica running the Labyrinth for them?"

"She refused," Jareth replied with a shrug. "Besides, she would only be able to retrieve Danica. Eddie would not be able to run for himself."

"I'll run for both of them," Sarah decided with an air of finality.

"You cannot, Sarah," the Goblin King refused. "You were not the wisher, so you may not run. Besides, you've already been through the Labyrinth, and as you said - I have no power over you. You are barred from the Underground now. Magic does not work for you anymore, and you would be repelled from my realm every time you tried to enter."

"You can't keep them and turn them into goblins!" She shouted at him.

"I have no intention of turning them into goblins. And I'm not keeping them as prisoners. I am finding them a good home where they will actually - for the first time in a long time - be wanted!" Jareth replied, his voice raising to meet her own. "They agreed to the terms, I did give them the option. They have already met the couple that wishes to adopt them." He produced letters from his billowing sleeve and handed them to Sarah.

"Here," he said irritably, "these were written by Danica and Eddie. They wanted to assure you with their own words that they are doing well and are happy with the arrangement."

Sarah took them hesitantly. "How do I know these aren't faked or you didn't drug them with those peaches of yours?"

Jareth made a sound between a sigh and a growl. "Believe what you will about me, Sarah, but you can determine for yourself whether they are content or not."

She took the letters and read the one that appeared to be in Eddie's hand first.

_Dear Mrs. Williams,_

_This is Eddie! Dani and Jareth said I should write this so you know we're ok. I am! Jareth is really nice and his goblins aren't really scary. They're funny really. I like this one guy who said he isn't a goblin, but he hangs out here alot. His name is Hoggle (he says hi). Jareth let us meet the people who want to adopt me and Dani. They're really nice. Alot nicer than Mom and Dad. Wish I could visit the shop, but Jareth said I can't. Tell David I said hi and that I'm sorry I can't play soccer with him anymore._

_Bye!_

_Eddie_

Sarah smiled a little at the boy's note. At least he met Hoggle. The grumpy dwarf would take care of the boy and most likely visit Sarah later to give her his impression on the whole situation. She then took the letter written by Dani and opened it. If anyone would give away whether they were all right with this situation or not, it would be Dani.

_Hey, Sarah._

_I'm sorry I couldn't do this in person, but Jareth explained that the magic that sent me here is keeping me here - that I'm a part of the Underground now. It's hard to understand and explain and I'm sorry if I'm doing a bad job explaining why I can't come see you. I promise I'm not being held here against my will or something. Jareth didn't kidnap me - more like he rescued me._

_I'm sorry I left for school that day, maybe I should have stayed in bed. I have a feeling that Jessica would have wished me away eventually. So I don't know if it really mattered when it happened._

_Jareth has probably explained that I have to stay here since Jessica didn't run for me. That's okay with me though. I don't want to come back. I never really fit in there. I am going to miss you though. I have a chance here though. No one here will judge me for how I look or accuse me of horrible things like they did back at school there. I am sorry I wasn't able to finish school for my dad. Jareth said I could keep studying - but it's not like I'll get a diploma. I hope Dad understands._

_I met a couple of your friends here. Didymus and Hoggle. They said they'd come see you later. I also met the couple that want to adopt Eddie. I'll be living with them too, but I won't technically be adopted. I'm okay with that. I don't think I want to be adopted. They're good people. Eddie likes them already._

_I'm really okay, Sarah. I wish I could do a better job at convincing you. Hoggle said I could talk to you through a mirror, like Skype or something. Maybe when I figure out how to make it work I'll send you a message or whatever._

_Hope you can forgive me for leaving. Thanks for being my friend._

_Dani_

_(P.S. Can you give Jareth my things? Like my books and Dad's medals? I think Eddie wants his _Redwall_ books too, but Jareth might be sending the goblins for them later.)_

Sarah felt tears stinging her eyes. She would miss that girl. When Sarah looked up, she saw Jareth standing with arms crossed. He watched her with a guarded expression. She couldn't help but see him as she had seen him as a teenager. A man who frightened and intrigued her. A man who had taken her brother away and had no compassion. Sarah realized a long time after that incident that he had only been trying to help her, even in his own selfish way. He had been showing her the importance of family, independence, and growing-up. Jareth's childishness had shown her her own childish tendencies. If he had never taken Toby, would Sarah have stayed that selfish girl who only dreamed and dreamed? Never worked or loved or cared?

Now Dani was with Jareth. Dani always saw Eddie as the most important thing in her life. If Eddie hadn't wished himself away, would Dani be content to stay in the Underground? Sarah didn't think so.

Perhaps, the Aboveground - as Jareth called this place - had acted for Dani how the Underground and Labyrinth had acted for Sarah. Perhaps Dani's place was there instead of here.

"Thank you," Sarah said quietly. What she was thanking him for, she wasn't sure. "If you'll wait a moment, I'll go get the things Dani wanted."

"No need," Jareth replied. "I have already had Hoggle and the others collect them. I planned on taking them whether you believed me or not."

Sarah shook her head and bit back a retort. Instead, she said, "You couldn't just wait?"

"When have I ever waited?" Jareth replied, his lips curved into a smirk. If she didn't know any better, Sarah was almost certain he had been joking.

"Is Hoggle staying?" Sarah asked as she turned toward the hall. She still intended to make sure everything had been taken. She heard Jareth following her, which was strange - this man from her girlhood fantasies in her adult domain. He seemed so - out of place.

"He wanted to get Eddie's things," Jareth replied lazily. "I'm sure Hogbrain will return later. If I don't find some other task for him to do of course."

The brunette woman stepped into the guest room and instantly saw something on the bed. She reached for it and held it out to Jareth. "She might want this," Sarah suggested. The red book felt so strange in her hands. It looked strange. Like Jareth it didn't belong here.

"She finished that book," Jareth replied. "Besides, I can't take it with me. Its magic won't let me."

Sarah stared at it, worry in her eyes. "I don't want to keep it here!"

"Perhaps," the Goblin King suggested with a tilt of his head, "it could go in your shop. You own a bookstore after all."

She started shaking her head, green eyes wide. Before she could vocalize her fears and arguments, Jareth added, "It could teach some other person a valuable lesson. Or perhaps rescue someone else from loneliness."

Sarah's arm fell to her side, the book in her hand. The look in Jareth's mismatched gaze made her believe that, yes he did know what he had done for her and Dani - yes he had grown up as well since meeting them.

"I suppose I could find a place for it on the shelves," Sarah admitted nonchalantly. Looking around the room once more, she shook her head. "Looks like Hoggle and the goblins did a thorough job."

"I threatened them with the bog of eternal stench," the king replied easily. "Of course they did a thorough job. Now," he said, "I believe I will take my leave."

He turned toward the door. Sarah was sure that the moment he walked through it, he would disappear in a shower of glitter. Instead, he paused at the door frame and said, "Sarah?"

"Yes?"

Jareth didn't turn around, but spoke anyway, "Thank _you_." Abruptly, he walked through the door and disappeared.

~*/*\*~

_Several Years Later_

A young man with shoulder length brown hair ran along, dribbling a strange looking ball. A little girl followed him, her black hair fluttering around her cherub face. "Wait, Uncle Edward!"

The man laughed, "You have to catch me, Chelsea!"

Several yards away sat a woman with cropped black hair. Her mismatched blue and green eyes watched the pair as a chuckle worked past her smiling lips. The bundle in her arms made a mewling protest, garnering her attention.

"It's okay, Grant," the woman comforted. She stroked the little blonde curls poking out of the blanket before humming a tune. "_Heard about a place today, Where nothing never hurts again -_"

~*/*\*~

A boy wandered a bookstore. He had slipped in to avoid the attention of a group of kids from school. He would have to go home soon, not that he really wanted to. His brown eyes wandered the various shelves of fantasy novels. Eventually, his attention fell on a little red book.

He pulled the small volume off the shelf and stared quizzically at the gold lettering: _Labyrinth_.

"Oh, that's a good one," a woman's voice spoke from behind him. He turned to see the shopkeeper. A woman with streaks of white in her brunette hair. Her green eyes sparkled in a way that made him positive that she was a nice person - who also had a secret.

"What's it about?" The boy asked.

"A lonely girl," she answered.

He scrunched up his face. Why would he want to read about a girl?

"Who wants to rescue her brother from a terrible Goblin King," the woman continued. "But, it's only a good book if you can handle it."

"Handle it?"

"Yes," the woman answered as she took the book from the boy's loose hold. She flipped through the pages and smiled at the contents. "This book is rather intense - so I'd say a very strong person would need to read it. Not for the faint of heart."

"It's just a book," the boy retorted, shifting the weight of his backpack.

"I suppose it would be to anyone who didn't believe in magic."

The boy's brown eyes lit up with excitement. "Magic?"

The woman nodded, a smile on her face.

"Well," he replied with a shrug, "maybe I could read it - some of it."

"If you think you can handle it," the woman replied as she turned and walked to the cashier's counter. The boy trailed behind her. He watched as she opened the front cover and took out a pen.

"How much will it cost?" The boy asked.

"For this book?" The woman tilted her head in thought. "Hmm. Nothing."

"Nothing? As in - free?"

The woman nodded and asked, "What's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I should think you'd want your name in it."

The boy stood on his toes to see several other names written on the book's inside cover. Both boys' and girls' names. The very last name on the list was _Danica Trent_. The name seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't remember why.

"PJ," he answered. "PJ Pruit."

"P - J," the woman repeated as she wrote. "That short for something?"

"Peter Junior," he replied with a wrinkled nose. "It sucks."

The woman chuckled. "PJ it is." She shut the book and slid it across the counter toward him. "Enjoy the book!"

PJ took the book and stuffed it into his backpack. "Thanks!"

The woman watched the boy dash out the store. Her eyes followed him as far as she could track him out the wide display window. Briefly, she glimpsed an owl perched on a store's awning across the street. She smiled at it as it seemed to bob to her like a gentleman bowing.

It too took flight and flew off in the direction of the boy.

"Sarah?" A man called to her from somewhere in the back.

"In the front, David," she replied.

David appeared from behind one of the rows of shelves, a stack of books in his arms. "Who was that?"

She smiled once more. "A lost and lonely boy."

_The End_

~*/*\*~

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm sosososososo sorry that it took me so long to update! I also apologize if this feels - unfinished or rushed. I decided I wanted to end at 13 - as well as I felt like the story was just dragging. It was a fun piece to write, but I'm getting Labyrinthed out. After Troll Bridge, I'm going to stop Labyrinth fics for a while. Sorry!<strong>

**I hope you all enjoyed this story. Despite all the sappyness and disjointedness. Thank you for sticking with it and bearing with me. :)**


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